Lecture 11 Digital Divide JICES special issue Vol 1 Issue 2 April 2003 E&IT speical issue Vol 5 No. 2 2003 IT and Ethics Lecture 11 Digital Divide 5/4/2019 Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems Rafael Capurro (et al.) (2004) Opinions on the technologically-dependent society Introduction One of the most handled issues in the late IT ethics discussion With-in societies With-in handled to a large degree in Access to Information Access for all—at least in schools, in libraries, etc. lessening the divide with-in society? Gender, race, disability, age and social status/wealth– all relevant factors In-between societies 5/4/2019 Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems Jean Camp (2003) Editorial Bridging the Digital Divide Weckert and Al-Saggaf (2003) Online Cultural Imperialism: Is it an Ethical Issue? In-between societies Over 3 billion (miljardia) people live on US$ 2 or less per day We cannot expect these people to have wide access to the ‘Net Access to Internet (in 2002) for 1 billion people And of course only access to the ‘Net will not solve the digital divide issue Access to other SW and DDM even more difficult to guarantee Online Cultural Imperialism? 5/4/2019 Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

Changes in societies brought by IT Shifra Baruchson (et al.) (2004) Opinions on the technologically-dependent society Yeslam Al-Sagaff and Mohammed M. Begg (2004) Online Communities versus Offline Communities in the Arab/Muslim World Changes in societies brought by IT In our societies, at least seem to be from with-in But again, male engineer value dominance Embedded (and thus changing of) values Impeded values Our society has undoubtedly changed Other societies? Enables information search more freely for anyone, irrespective of society, with access to Internet—lessening the divide? Enables new forms of discussion e.g. in Arab countries males and females can discuss things previously impossible through ICT Outside influence, most material from USA or other Western countries 5/4/2019 Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

Globalization/Localization issues Stanislaw Szejko (et al.) (2004) Opinions on the technologically-dependent society Pouloudi, Ziouvelou and Vassilopoulou (2003) A Societal Perspective on E-business Adoption Globalization/Localization issues Does one version (with minor variations) answer the needs of all? The values inserted in the technology through design affect all Some interest is paid for cultural differences (certain numbers in Asia, thick black borders in where it means mortuary) but is that enough? Should information systems be built from the needs of the people? 5/4/2019 Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems Kiyoshi Murata (et al.) (2004) Opinions on the technologically-dependent society Fairweather and Rogerson (2003) The Problems of Global Cultural Homogenisation in a Technologically Dependant World Democratic values Is IT and/or the Internet democratic? Do people all around want it to be/promote that? Global cultural homogenization Think about the situation in Iraq, as pointed out by Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila whether the Iraqi people even want democracy, maybe they rather want tolerant islam? Global “information ethics”—even possible? Many-to-many discussions in the net, Habermas –type ‘critical’ discussion? Hardly. Blogs enable just this kind of open ended critical discussion Look for example the blog discussions on the Mohammed pictures Both in-between the Westerners but also by muslims 5/4/2019 Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems Equality? Digital divide can widen the gap between have’s and have-not’s Access to information much more readily available in the west and for the rich or politically powerful in other societies than elsewhere Access to what information? Educational information: Basic/advanced level education Vital information for the locals: Farming enhancements, health care IPRd information: Job skills 5/4/2019 Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems Adekunle Okunoye (2002/2003) Example: Research done in West Africa, published in The Lancet after five years of research; what good does that do to the locals? Do they have access to The Lancet in printed or in digital form? Even if they did, would it help the people? 5/4/2019 Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems Jean Camp (2003) Editorial Bridging the Digital Divide http://www.greenstone.org/cgi-bin/library Solving The Divide Low cost clusters of PCs in developing country Internet centers GNU/Linux and other F/OSS applications able to be both used and studied for free or at reasonable prices With tools such as Green Stone by Ian Whitten …with content, of course Wireless communications from the grass-roots level (Public Private Partnersips) Opening IPRs to the poor? Enabling local ICT innovations Greenstone 5/4/2019 Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems

Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems Demonstration case How to ensure access to information for the people of the improving countries? To what information? Why? What are the benefits of this? Do you see some draw-backs? 5/4/2019 Kai Kimppa, IT Department, Information Systems