Science journal admits: Facebook hit ethics and principles – TSF Online

scientific journal that published the controversial study of Facebook on handling feelings today admitted being concerned because they were not followed neither scientific nor ethical principles of informed consent.

Although not recant, the American journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” (PNAS, its acronym in English) ensures that one of its basic rules is to publish only the experiences that allowed individuals to opt out of the investigation.

In the study

the responsibility of Facebook’s basic principle was not

respected. The company have been excluded, because all users agreed with its policy in relation to information and when they opened an account for PNAS this was considered an informed consent.

To Inder Verma, editor-in-chief the information given by the authors, Facebook, the editors of PNAS seemed appropriate for publication. ‘Nevertheless, it is a matter of concern that the collection of data by Facebook may have involved practices that were not fully consistent with the principles of informed consent and obtain a permit to anyone who would be excluded from the investigation, “he added.

Facebook clandestinely changed the emotional content of stories to 700 thousand users, giving each other the sad news and happy. The study was conducted in 2012 with the intent to better understand emotional contagion. Once published, research has given rise to heated debate about the limits of ethics and the impact that this type of research may cause.