© 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1.

Information Technology Ethics
Technology in Action Technology in Focus: Information Technology Ethics This Technology in Focus feature looks at the ethics of IT. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Ethics Defined Study of morals and moral choices
Match established ideas of right and wrong Fairness Equity Guidelines for decision making Ethics are the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices made by individuals. Morals involve conforming to established or accepted ideas of right and wrong (usually dictated by society) and are usually fairly black and white. Ethics usually involves subtle distinctions such as fairness and equity. Ethics are the guidelines you use to make decisions each day. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Ethics Defined Systems of ethical conduct Moral relativism
Situational ethics Religious traditions There are many systems of ethical conduct. On one extreme is moral relativism, a theory in which there is no universal moral truth, that instead there are only beliefs, perspectives, and values. Everyone has his or her own ideas of right and wrong. Another ethical philosophy is situational ethics, which states that decision-making should be based upon the circumstances of a particular situation and not upon fixed laws. There are many other ethical systems, some of which are defined by religious traditions. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Ethics Defined Unethical behavior
Not conforming to a set of approved standards Social or professional Unethical behavior can be defined as not conforming to a set of approved standards of social or professional behavior. These behaviors can be found in social and professional areas. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Personal Ethics Checklist of personal decisions May be well-defined
May be applied inconsistently Sometimes people have a clear, well-defined set of principles they follow. Sometimes a person’s ethics are inconsistent or are applied differently in similar situations. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Personal Ethics How do they develop? Family and cultural bias
Religious affiliation Life experiences There are many contributors to your ethical development. Naturally, your family has a major impact in establishing the values you cherish in your own life, and these might include a cultural bias toward certain moral positions. Your religious affiliation is another major factor in the development of your ethical life, as most religions have established specific codes of ethical conduct. Your life experiences also affect your personal ethics. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Define Your Personal Ethics
Describe yourself List your beliefs Identify external influences Consider “why” Prepare a statement of values When you have a very clear and firm resolve on what values are most important to you, it may be easier to handle situations in your professional and your personal life that demand ethical action. Follow these steps to help define your personal ethics: Describe yourself. Write down a description of who you are based on how others view you. Would a friend describe you as honest or helpful or kind? List your beliefs. Make a list of all of the beliefs that influence your decision-making. For example, would you be okay with working as a research assistant in a lab that infected dogs with diseases to use them for medical research? How important is it to you that you never speak a lie? Consider whether your answers to each of these questions are “flexible.” Are there situations where your answers might change (say, if a friend was ill or in danger)? Identify external influences. Consider the places you work and live and how you relate to the people you see during the day. Are there things that you would like to change about these relationships that would involve listing them in a code of ethics? Consider “why.” After writing down your beliefs, think about why you believe them. Have you accepted them without investigation or do they stand up to the test of real world experiences in your life? Which of these values are worthy of short-term sacrifice in order to uphold your beliefs? Prepare a statement of values. It can be useful to distill what you have written into a short list. By having a well defined statement of the values you hold most important in your own life to refer to in times of challenge, it will be easier for you to make ethical decisions. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Personal Ethics Benefits of ethical living Obeying laws
Less stress and anger Increased happiness Society has established its own set of rules of conduct as laws. Ignoring or being inconsistent in following these principles can surely have an immediate impact! Whether it is complying with a law about the way your business is run or following laws that impact your personal life (don’t exceed the speed limit or you’ll receive a fine), decision-making principles that work with society’s legal boundaries can make your life much simpler! More and more research is showing health benefits to be a result of ethical living © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Personal Ethics in the World View
Do your ethics match the workplace? Are you ethics away from work a concern for your employer? All of your actions, words, and even thoughts are controlled by your personal ideas of right and wrong. But do your ethics shift when you go to work? Your responsibility at work is to follow the ethics that the owner has established for the business. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Technology and Ethics Technology is all around us
Technology moves quickly Rules governing technology move more slowly Use of technology left to personal ethics Technology is all around us, and affects almost every aspect of our daily lives. Because technology moves faster than rules to govern it, how technology is used is left up to the individual with the guidance of their personal ethics. In both good and bad ways, technology affects our community life, family life, work environments, education, and medical research, to only name a few. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Social Justice: Can Technology Be Used to Benefit Everyone?
Can we use technology to achieve social justice? Can we apply these technologies to poor areas? Solar energy Genetic engineering Internet access Does our society have a responsibility to use technology to help achieve social justice? Freeman Dyson, an American physicist and mathematician, has sparked discussion about this argument by saying that science is concentrating too much on “making toys for the rich” instead of addressing the necessities of the poor. There is the promise of great financial reward in creating an even smaller cellular phone but little incentive to find solar energy solutions to help struggling rural communities. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Point: Technology Provides Economic Opportunity for All Could be used to eliminate poverty Could improve quality of life in poor countries Could be an ethical force The advocates of Dyson’s position maintain that a lack of technology or resources is not what keeps the majority of the world’s population in poverty. Instead, they would argue that it is a lack of commitment and focus on the problem of social justice that allows poverty to continue © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Counterpoint: Technology Doesn’t Provide Economic Opportunity for All No one can solve the problem of poverty Should not be addressed by technologists Potential risks of new technologies Threats to existing world economies Those opposed to Dyson’s position feel his suggestions on using technology for social change are impractical and unachievable with the current resources. They feel his plan might even be dangerous to pursue since there may be unforeseen scientific and political results. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Intellectual Property: What Is Fair About Fair Use?
Copyright laws protect intellectual property Fair use Allows for exceptions to copyright laws Fair use criteria What is the purpose of the work? What is the nature of the proposed work? How much copyrighted material is being used? What is the effect on the original material? Intellectual property (such as music, writing and art) is protected through copyright laws. This means creative works such as songs, video productions, television programs, and written manuscripts cannot be reproduced without the permission of the creator and usually not without payment to the copyright owner. Fair use decisions are guided by four criteria: What is the purpose of the “fair use” of the work (for example, is it a for-profit use or an educational use)? What is the nature of the proposed work (for example, will it be a published document or an unpublished product)? How much of the copyrighted material is being used? What is the effect of the “fair use” of the material (for example, would it decrease the number of copies of the original that would be sold)? © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Point: Liberal Fair Use Standards Are Beneficial Encourages wide dissemination of information Allows the most democratic, free society Existing laws not up-to-date with technology Artists and critics will be silenced if they are forced to fear legal action every time they use a portion of copyrighted material. The aggressive—and expensive—style of enforcement that copyright holders now use limits the free expression of ideas that is a cornerstone of most democratic societies. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Counterpoint: Strict Fair Use Standards Are Beneficial Existing laws should not be changed because technology has changed Copyright holders should control their own work Already there are existing guidelines for what defines fair use. Because in the past these guidelines have worked well to protect the interests of both parties, there is no need to modify them. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Privacy: Is Personal Privacy a Casualty of the Modern Age?
Privacy is a basic human right Many of our transactions are recorded Debit cards Loyalty cards Electronic toll passes Privacy is a basic human right, like respect for others and being treated with dignity. But what exactly is privacy? Simply stated, privacy is the right to be left alone to do as one pleases. The idea of privacy is often associated with hiding something (a behavior, a relationship, or a secret). With the advent of the digital society, however, personal privacy is becoming more difficult to define. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Point: Protect Personal Privacy No reason to watch me Government misuse of data Government control of population National ID cards remind people of Nazis Privacy controls are expensive Advocates for protecting privacy in the United States argue that the right to privacy is a basic human right that should be afforded to everyone. As long as individuals aren’t hurting anyone or breaking any laws, people should be entitled to do what they want without fear of being monitored. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Counterpoint: Reduced Privacy Is a Fact of Modern Life Should have nothing to hide Help enhance the detection of terrorists Protect citizens from being abused National ID card worth the cost The advocates for stronger monitoring of private citizens usually cite national security concerns and the prevention of terrorist activities. Inconveniencing ordinary people who are doing nothing wrong is just a price that must be paid to ensure that society is free from malicious acts by a few malcontents. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Commerce: Should Online Gambling Be Banned or Regulated?
Multi-billion dollar industry Already illegal in U.S. Facilitates addictive gambling Internet gambling is currently a multi-billion dollar industry. Internet gambling is already illegal in the United States. Legislation was passed in October 2006 to reinforce the prohibition of online gambling and yet it remains a viable and growing industry worldwide. Online gambling encourages gamblers to play 24 hours a day from home, and facilitates addictive gambling. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Point: Ban Online Gambling Easy access for minors and compulsive gamblers Could support criminal activities No regulation: who keeps the house honest? Allows gamblers to hide their addiction The advocates for continuing the ban of online gambling in the United States argue that thorough and extensive enforcement of the current prohibition would stop online gambling, and hence eliminate the source of the problems. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Counterpoint: Legalize Online Gambling Protect consumers Allow for scrutiny of all transactions Standardize the industry Generate tax revenues Regulated in other countries Easier to regulate than prohibit The advocates for legalizing online gambling in the United States argue that legalizing online gambling will bring it out of the underworld and place stricter controls on the industry. Enforced governmental regulations placed on current onsite gambling facilities could be applied to online sites and eliminate the source of the problems. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Communication: When Does Big Business Limit Free Speech?
Google concedes to demands from Beijing to self-censor its search engine Helps suppress dissent in return for access to the Chinese market Cost of doing business in Chinese market Potential Chinese market is huge In early 2006, Google conceded to demands by Beijing to self-censor its search engine. Google was following in the footsteps of other large U.S. high-tech companies that had previously collaborated with the Chinese government in suppressing dissent in return for access to the booming Chinese Internet market. This has created the controversy that corporate America has defined the price it is willing to pay to obtain Chinese business. The theory behind Google’s decision is that when a company decides to do business, it must operate within the rules of that market. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Point: Google Acted Unethically Sacrificed free speech for business Violated human rights No incentive for China to change Other rights hang in the balance How far is too far? Those protesting Google’s actions are those who fight for human rights at any level. They feel that Google’s compliant behavior only condones China’s censorship policies and continues to thwart the movement to enhance human rights initiatives in China. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Counterpoint: Google’s Actions Were Justified Companies should pursue profits Withdrawing from China would further restrict free speech Advances the slow progress toward democracy The advocates of Google’s actions tend to be other businesses and those with large economic interests that can relate to Google’s business predicament. They feel that Google acted in accordance with “doing business” and should abide by the laws of the local governments. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Computer Abuse: Does Restricting Online Information Protect Children?
Internet allows Sexual predators to contact potential victims Distribution of pornography Cyberbullying Phishing Dissemination of hate speech Computer abuse is loosely defined as using a computer or the Internet to harm another individual. By providing anonymity, the Internet facilitates such unsavory activities as: The ability of sexual predators to contact potential victims The distribution of pornography Cyberbullying (harassing individuals through electronic means) Phishing, or tricking individuals out of sensitive information The dissemination of hate speech © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Children are especially vulnerable Use technology more than adults More trusting than some adults May not recognize malicious intent Although computer abuse is a threat to everyone, children are especially vulnerable as they tend to use technology more than adults, are more trusting than many adults, and may lack the real life experience to identify malicious intent or behavior. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Point: Monitoring Software Protects Children Laws have proved ineffective Make sure libraries and schools are safe Uphold moral standards of the public Logical extension of the library screening process Most advocates of filtering software in publicly funded institutions cite the need to protect minors from material deemed objectionable by accepted public standards. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Counterpoint: Monitoring Software Restricts Access to Information Blocks informational content Amounts to censorship Is not 100% reliable Widens the “digital divide” Education is a better alternative Opponents of filtering software cite the first amendment, which guarantees free speech and hence free access to information. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Using Computers to Support Ethical Conduct
Charitable organizations use the Internet for fund raising Companies must provide mechanisms to report unethical behavior anonymously Intranets and are used to inform employees of ethics policies Your personal ethics must guide your decisions concerning technology The Internet is used by many charitable organizations for fund raising. Many businesses are using their Web sites to allow whistleblowers to report wrongdoing anonymously, replacing their previous and telephone hotline systems that did not shield the employee from being identified. Electronic systems such as Intranets and are also excellent mechanisms for informing employees about ethics policies. Your personal ethics—combined with the ethical guidelines your company provides and the general ethical environment of society—will guide your decisions. © 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

© 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "© 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback

Log in

Auth with social network:

© 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "© 2009 Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback