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Why Computer Ethics

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Why Computer Ethics

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Uploaded by

Nikita Sabale
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
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(CHAPTER yy Introduction: Why Computer Ethics? Should | copy proprietary software? Since John graduated from college, five years ago, he has been investing small amounts of money in the stock market. A year ago, he discovered an extremely useful software package that helps individual investors choose penny stocks. (Penny stocks are stocks of small companies that sell for a few dollars or less per share.) The software requires users to input information about their atti- tudes toward risk as well as the names of penny stock companies in which they are interested. The sofiware provides a wide range of information and allows the user to analyze stocks in many different ways. It also recommends strate- gies given the user's attitudes toward risk, age, size of investment, and so on. John has several friends who invest in stocks, and one of his friends, Mary, hhas been getting more and more interested in penny stocks. At a party, they begin talking about investing in penny stocks and John tells Mary about the software package he uses. Mary asks if she can borrow the package to see what itis like John gives his disks and documentation to Mary. Mary finds the software extremely useful. She copies the software and documentation onto her com- puter. Then she gives the package back to John. John and Mary were both vaguely aware that software is proprietary, but neither read the licensing agreement very carefully. Did John do anything wrong? If so, what? Why is it wrong? Did Mary do anything wrong? If so, what? Why is it wrong? Should my company make use of data mining technology? Inga has worked hard all her life. Ten years ago, she started her own business selling computer software and hardware. In any given year now, 100,000 to 200,000 customers purchase things in her store. These purchases range from $5 item to a $10,000 item. As part of doing business, the company gathers 1 information on customers. Sometimes information is gathered intentionally (eg, when they distribute customer surveys to evaluate the service they are providing and find out their customer preferences). Other times, they gather information embedded it the purchase transaction (e.g., when they record nname, address, what it purchased, date purchased) Recently Inga has been reading about data mining tools. Data mining tools allow the user to input large quantities of information about individuals and then search for correlations and patterns, Inga realizes that she might he able to derive useful information about her customers. The records contain credit card numbers, checking account numbers, driver's license numbers, and s0 on, but to make se of this information, it would have to be “mined.” The zip code alone is extremely valuable in that data mining tools might reveal a correlation between purchasing habits and zip code, and would allow Inga to ‘arget advertising more effectively. The correlation between zip codes and pur. chasing pattern might then be correlated with public records on voting pat terns to identify what political sympathies customers in varions zip codes have and to see how political affiliation is correlated with size of purchase. This could also be useful in targeting advertising Inga is conflicted about using data mining tools. On the one hand, her customers have given information in order to make a purchase and data min- ing would be using this informacion in a way that the customers had not antie- ipated. On the other hand, for the most part, the information would not {dentfy individuals but rather groups of individuals with financial or atitudi- nal patterns. ‘Should Inga use data mining tools? FREER) &reesiom of expression In December 1994, Jake Baker, a sophomore at the University of Michigan, posted three sexual fantasies on an Internet newsgroup “altsex.tories.” The ‘ewsgroup was an electronic bulletin board whose contents were publicly avail able through the Internet. In one of these stories entitled “Pamela's Ordeal," Baker gave his fictional victim the name of a real student in one of his classes. ‘The story describes graphically the torture, rape, and murder of Pamela, and ends with the woman being doused in gasoline and set afire while tied to a chair. In addition to publishing the fantasies on the newsgroup, Baker also ex- changed e-mails with another man from Ontario, Arthur Gonda, discussing the sexual acts. In one of these e-mails, Baker said that "{jJust thinking about it anymore docsn’t do the trick... need to do it” It should be noted that Gonds's true identity and whereabouts are unknown, The e-mails were private, ‘and not available in any publicly accessible portion of the Internet, AA University of Michigan alumnus in Moscow spotted Baker's stories while browsing the newsgroup and alerted university officials. The campus pi and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were then brought into investigate the yeld in custody for 29 case. On February 9, 1995, Baker wat arested and was eld in custody £4 {R month Tater, he was charged in a superceding indict te sere aor transmitting interstate commanication of a threat to injure another. ‘ryan ven nal compa wo parle, wee srentioned in the superceding indictment, which refers nine ee Bakr Te charges wee droped in June 1995 cee Baker expressed no eae threat of eareyng out the 36 on yd Jake Baker do anything wrong? Should the police have arreste Tiras we ii State» ae, need onthe loving source: Cnied ‘his cane as win by Ma Qe Dini Cort or the East’ Dns of Michigan, Sou mia No NS es en op) (LEIS 677; #8 Medias Rep, one 2- ove pe i espn Dens st nt see Jom Poe emis eres hor of Sey kent iin ebay ib); p ter ore ice a M 7 pene IRENE toy rote respon on froughou he ge. The characters are primarily exaggerated sls nme cies fae er focne on various aspect of hs mate. On Paper discame stare deg are asked co design gues fr eile Aare dnc for boy (Hand Coope, 1987) Te games ae nt then, ‘Rinber of women and minorities who are majoring in computing im cas aa ag onl ia et ac eorage of technically tained a ei ens with pel dicuson abut what comptes Pa OEM eeng reed foe martetng ilo as never cog mh ae tion of the team before, but he now realizes (eat ca erie or ger anor rail bn, Wat shold he o? fame and avs wel shou diferent meseage Be sen with Ne 4 ytaopuction: Why Computer Enis? “These scenarios pose a varety of types of ethical questions. The Fist rises a suction poral ec aig an ino eh oe morally permis for an nda to Beak a by aking a copy pro. Prictary software? Iso, when is lav beaing jusiea? When's» ad law? When the law i easy trek? The second secari ao vases & question ft individual decision making, but hee the decison sto do mith establishing + policy fora company. Inga has to decide what her company sould do and tht Iocan taking into acount wha is gd for the companys baton Tine it Crployees, a well at what her respnabilies are to her casters, The third scenario poses an ite that ould he addressed iter aan indual mater, (Shou censor myself when do things onthe Interne) or aa pic policy rater (should there be free expression online?) Final, the fourth sear Faises a question of profesional ethics What Nile should doin the saton Ascribed snot juts matter of his individual vlc ut has mich od wih the profession of computing. That computer professionals have a collective responsi tna tha computing serves humanity well Moreover Mite behavior wil impact the reputation of computer professionals 5 well a his corn and his employer's "ke ote the fr scenation tate the dere cuatro eth cal issues surrounding computer and information technology Among other thing, he etal sues nove property ight, privacy fee speceh, a pro. fesonal ethics. The development and continuing evolution of computer and information techeology based to an ents seqnence of ecieal question: Personal privacy being ered by the we of computer and information tec tology? Should comptes be wed todo ating they ean? What anpets of information technology shouldbe owned? Who's morally responsi for ee rors in software, especialy those that have catastrophic effect Will eneryp. tion technology make it imposible to detect criminal behavior? Wil viral realty echnngy ln to populace sed to famay wl? These quer tions ulmately ead vo deeper moral questions about wh pood for human being, what makes an action right and wrong, wha is «jn dsibuton of Benefit and burdens, and soon ‘While the scenarios athe begining ofthe chapter strate the divest of echicaissues surrounding computer ad information telnelogy shold be noted tha here fail a pore about hy comput an information tech sulogy ge rke wo ethical question, What abt eompute and informa on lg and ot let ight by ht eats ee issues and uncertainey abou right and wrong, good and bad? This question and a set of related questions are contentious among, computer etic, The Controversy has fotsedexpecily on wheter the etd ses suring Eompter and information technslogy are unique. Are the ses 3 diferent from other ehia nue that they reir acre chi are the thea sues ssociated with compute al information technology simply ol ete lice na ew guise? Insxoouction: Wey LoMmuTER Imo Te uniqueness sue is intertwined with several other important and per~ sistent questions. Why oF how does computer and information technology give Tine wo ethical issues? Isa new field of study aud/or separate academic courses needed to adress the ethical issues surrounding computer and information technology? What does one “lo” when one docs computer ethies? That is is there a special methodology required? The uniqueness isue seems tobe a the core oat these questions, enicaton of something unique dont com ter technology holds the promise of explaining Why computer technology: Seen cea erriete cal ier and hy» seca Say and/a # special methodology Way be weeded OT TOUTRe, TcoMpATE ful formation technology Tra wigue, TRETETIHE wil have to be resolved in some other way. I begin with the question why computer and information technology gives ise to ethical isues and proceed from there to a more d= tailed account ofthe uniqueness issue NEW POSSIBILITIES AND A VACUUM OF POLICIES Computer and information technology i nt the First (nor wilt be the lst) fechnology to raise moral concerns. Think of nulelear power and the atom bomb, Rew technologies seem to pose ethical issues when they create new fonbilities for human action, beth individual ation and collective or iste futlonal acion}Should | donate my organs for transplantation? Should em ployers be alowed to use utine or blood tests to deteruine ifemployces are Sng cruge? Should we bail intelligent highway chat record automobite li Corse plates and document when cats enter and leave the highway and how fave sey go? ‘hve questions suggest. the new possibititiesereated by technology are notatiaye gual Ofer ey havea mincl yelve. New echnologies bring he fsa well ue new problems, a in the cave of miclear power sid clear wast, utomobiles and ar pollution, aerosol cans and glob warming. Because new technological possibilities are not always good or purely oor, they need to he evaluated-—morally a8 well a in other ways (© €€0" omically, eavitonmentally). Evaluation can and should take place at each Sage ofa technology's development, and can and should result in shaping the technology 10 thats potential for good i better realized and negative effects tre elimated of minimized. echnical porsbilities are sometimes rejected tes evaluation, ain the case of biologieal weapons, nuclear power (no new siclear powerplant has been builtin the United States for several decades), nd warious chemieals that deplete the amount of ozone in the atmosphere or ause other environmental problems Soi uith computer and information techwetogy. Enormous possibilities forintiigual and initational behavior have been created We could not have rehehed the moon without computers, nor could we have the Kind of global

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