Facebook recently made news by conducting research with unsuspecting users who were not given the opportunity to provide consent to participate. Currently, only institutions receiving federal funding are subject to regulations set by the Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP), which requires that potential studies be reviewed by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). IRBs insure that participants' rights to consent to participation, as well as other important ethical considerations, are preserved.
While Facebook likely did not break any American laws in this recent study, there are ethical concerns. We petition the Executive Branch to push legislation requiring that publicly traded companies be subject to OHRP rules. This will insure that individuals' rights and welfare are preserved.