Exploring Ethics In Web3 – Ronke Sonaike

The Chief Executive Officer, ID Africa, Femi Falodun made a submission to the PRCA Ethics Council Annual Perspective report on ‘Ethical Issues Surrounding Web3 and AI – PR and Communications Perspective’ and there are some nuggets for every communications enthusiast and internet users in general. I have pencilled a few below.

As public relations practitioners who work around the web3 ecosystem, it is essential to pay close attention to the issues connected to serve as a guide to the builders and users to make the process easy for all stakeholders. 

With the emergence of Web3, you either become a techno-optimist or techno pessimist.  Regardless of the side, you fall on, we are all faced with the challenge of understanding what is right or wrong. The Web3 promises a  decentralised, community-governed internet powered by tokens, and completely owned by users and builders void of any regulatory body monitoring the user’s activities. 

The lack of control of Web3 raises concerns and ethical issues such as privacy and data leaks, ICO scams, copyright infringement with NFTs, and outright theft. This freedom leaves room for bad actors to create havoc for both builders and users. 

More ethical concerns surrounding Web3 include racial bias from robots, cybersecurity risks, and unemployment due to the loss of jobs to machines among others. 

The sustenance of web3 will also increase the tons of electronic waste, which will have adverse effects on the environment. 

As more information continues to unfold in the web3 ecosystem, we need to constantly educate ourselves and communicate the best ways that these technologies can enrich the human experience.

Ronke Sonaike is a communications consultant in the UK