3. FIVE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
Information rights and obligations
Information Rights: Privacy and Freedom in the Internet Age
Privacy is the claim of individuals to be left alone, free from surveillance or
interference from other individuals or organizations.
Claims to privacy at the workplace: Millions of employees are subject to
electronic and other forms of high-tech surveillance (Ball, 2001). Information
technology and systems threaten individual claims to privacy by making the
invasion of privacy cheap, profitable, and effective.
4. FIVE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
In the United States
• Right to information Act,2005
• Computer Security Act, 1987
• Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 1986
• Children’s Online Privacy protection Act (COPPA), 1998
• Fair Information Practices (FIP), 1973
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), 1996; Personal
Medical Records
In India
• Article 21 of India Constitution, right to privacy as fundamental right
• Information technology rules, 2011
• The credit information companies Regulation Act (CICRA), 2005: custmers
data protection of banks and other Fi’s
5. FIVE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
European Directives
• European Commission’s Directive on Data Protection, 1998 : inform people
when they collect information about them
• Customers should provide Informed Consent (opt-in/opt-out) to
organizations
• US business firms should have a SAFE HARBOR, a self regulating policy or
enforcement that meet EU standards to use personal data.
6. FIVE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
Property rights and obligations
Property Rights: Intellectual Property
Intellectual property is considered to be intangible property created by
individuals or corporations.
Information technology has made it difficult to protect intellectual property
because computerized information can be so easily copied or distributed on
networks.
7. FIVE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
TRADE SECRET
• Trade secret law grant a monopoly on the ideas behind a work product.
• To make this claim, the creator or owner must take case to bind employees and
customers with nondisclosure agreements and to prevent the secret from
falling into a public domain.
• Copyright is a legal grant that protects creators of intellectual property from
having their work copied by others for any purpose during the life of the
author plus additional 70 years after the author's death.
• It includes books, software, lectures, dramas,mapas,musical compositions,
drawings, artworks, etc.
COPYRIGHT
8. FIVE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
PATENTS
• Provides the owner of the invention with the exclusive right to exploit it
commercially for the life of the patent.
• Widespread use of invention is possible under the license from the owner.
• It grants a monopoly on the underlying concepts and ideas.
• For corporate owned works, copyright protection lasts for 95 years after their
initial creation
9. FIVE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
Accountability and control
• Software constitutes a component of a computer system, and if the system
causes harm to an individual, the operator may be held responsible for any
resulting damage.
• Organizations can be held liable for offensive content on their websites
• Online services might be held liable for posting by their users.
Determining who should take responsibility for decisions and actions. Many of the
laws and court decisions and actions establishing precedents in the area of
accountability, liability and control were firmly in place long before information
systems were invented.
10. FIVE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
System quality
This has to do with data quality and system errors. As we rely more on
information systems, data quality issues are gaining more importance.
Three principal sources of poor system performance:
• Software bugs, errors
• Hardware failures
• Poor input data quality
11. FIVE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE
Quality of life: Equity, access, boundaries
• The negative cosial cost of introducing information technologies are
beginning to mount along with the power of technology.
• Computers and information technologies potentially can destroy valuable
elements of our culture and society even while they bring us benefits.
Negative social consequences of systems
• Balancing power
• Rapidity of change
• Maintaining boundaries
• Employment
• Dependence and vulnerability
12. KEY TECHNOLOGY TRENDS THAT RAISE ETHICAL ISSUES
TREND IMPACT
Computing power doubles
every 18 months
More organizations depend on computer
systems for critical operations.
Data storage costs rapidly
decline
Organizations can easily maintain detailed
databases on individuals
13. KEY TECHNOLOGY TRENDS THAT RAISE ETHICAL ISSUES
TREND
IMPACT
Data analysis advances
Companies can analyze vast quantities
of data gathered on individuals to
develop detailed profiles of individual
behavior.
14. KEY TECHNOLOGY TRENDS THAT RAISE ETHICAL ISSUES
TREND IMPACT
Networking advances
Copying data from one location to
another and accessing personal data
from remote locations are much
easier.
Advances in networking reduce the
costs of moving and accessing data,
permitting privacy invasions on a vast
scale.
15. ETHICS IN AN INFORMATION SOCIETY
RESPONSIBILITY: Accepting potential costs, duties, and obligations for your
decisions.
ACCOUNTABILITY: Determining who should take responsibility for decisions and
actions.
LIABILITY: Legally placing responsibility with a person or group.
DUE PROCESS: Ensuring the laws are applied fairly and correctly.
16. ETHICAL ANALYSIS
• Identify and describe clearly the facts.
• Define the conflict or dilemma and identify the higher-order values involved.
• Identify the stakeholders.
• Identify the options that you can reasonably take.
• Identify the potential consequences of your options.
How to conduct a good ethical analysis
17. TRADITIONAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
1. The Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
2. Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative - If an action is not right for everyone
to take, it is not right for anyone.
3. Descartes’ rule of change - If an action cannot be taken repeatedly, it is not
right to take at all.
- This is the slippery-slope rule “once started down a slippery path, you may not
be able to stop.”
18. 5. Risk Aversion Principle - Some actions have extremely high failure costs of
very low probability
6. Ethical “no free lunch” rule - Assume that virtually all tangible and intangible
objects are owned by someone else unless there is a specific declaration
otherwise.
4. Utilitarian Principle - Take the action that achieves the higher or greater
value
TRADITIONAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
19. ETHICAL STANDARDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• Information Privacy
￭ refers to the right of an individual who has to control the access, use,
and distribution of their personal data or information.
⚬ Ethical Guidelines
• Data Collection and Use:
￭ Transparency: Inform individuals about the data being collected, why
it's collected, and how it will be used. Ensure clear and accessible
privacy policies.
￭ Purpose Limitation: Collect data only for specific, legitimate purposes
and use it only as agreed upon by the individual.
￭ Consent: Obtain explicit and informed consent from individuals
before collecting or processing their personal data.
20. ETHICAL STANDARDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• Data Security and Protection:
￭ Security Measures: Implement robust security measures (encryption,
access controls, etc.)
￭ Data Minimization: Collect and retain only the minimum necessary
data to fulfill the intended purpose. Dispose of or anonymize data
when it's no longer needed.
• Data Access and Control:
￭ Access Controls: Restrict access to personal data based on job roles
and necessity. Ensure that only authorized personnel can access
sensitive information.
￭ User Control: Allow individuals to access, review, edit, and delete
their personal data. Provide options for users to manage their
privacy settings.
21. • Compliance and Accountability:
￭ Legal Compliance: Adhere to applicable laws and regulations
concerning data privacy (RA 10173) and industry standards.
￭ Accountability: Take responsibility for ensuring compliance with
ethical standards and provide avenues for addressing privacy
concerns or breaches.
• Education and Awareness:
￭ Employee Training: Educate and train employees on ethical data
handling practices, privacy policies, and the importance of protecting
personal data.
￭ Public Awareness: Educate users about their privacy rights and
provide resources to understand how their data is handled.
ETHICAL STANDARDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
22. 2. Intellectual Property
￭ refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, artistic works,
designs, symbols, names, and images that are protected by law.
⚬ Ethical Guidelines
• Intellectual Property Laws:
￭ Copyright: Protects authored works
￭ Patent: Protect inventions
￭ Trade secret: Help safeguard information critical to an organizations’
success.
￭ Trademarks: Protect symbols, names, phrases, logos, or designs that
distinguish goods or services of one party from others in the
marketplace.
ETHICAL STANDARDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
23. 3. Hacking
￭ the unauthorized or illegal access, manipulation, or exploitation of
computer systems, networks, or data.
• Ethical Hacking vs. Illegal Hacking:
⚬ Ethical Hacking: Ethical hackers, also known as "white-hat hackers," are
cybersecurity experts who use their skills to identify and resolve security
vulnerabilities in systems with the permission of the system owner. Their
goal is to improve security and protect systems from cyber threats.
⚬ Illegal Hacking: Unauthorized access, exploitation, or manipulation of
computer systems or networks without proper permission constitutes
illegal hacking.
ETHICAL STANDARDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
24. 3. Hacking
￭ the unauthorized or illegal access, manipulation, or exploitation of
computer systems, networks, or data.
⚬ Ethical Guidelines
• Authorized Penetration Testing:
￭ Ethical hacking involves conducting authorized penetration testing
or security assessments to identify weaknesses in systems and
networks.
• Adherence to Legal Frameworks:
￭ Ethical hackers must adhere to laws, regulations, and ethical
guidelines when conducting security assessments.
• Responsible Disclosure:
￭ Ethical hackers should follow responsible disclosure practices.
ETHICAL STANDARDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
25. 3. Hacking
⚬ Ethical Guidelines
• Protecting Privacy and Confidentiality:
￭ They should avoid unauthorized data access or disclosure.
• Professional Integrity:
￭ Ethical hackers should maintain professional integrity, avoiding
malicious intent or actions that could harm individuals,
organizations, or systems.
• Continuous Education and Compliance:
￭ They should comply with industry standards, certifications, and
ethical hacking guidelines.
ETHICAL STANDARDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
26. 4. Software Piracy
￭ Piracy is an activity in which the creation of illegal copy of the
software is made.
⚬ Ethical Guidelines
• Respect for Intellectual Property Rights:
￭ Ethical standards in IT emphasize respecting the intellectual property
rights of software developers and companies.
• Compliance with Software Licenses:
￭ Ethical use of software involves adhering to software licenses and
agreements.
• Avoiding Unlicensed Software Use:
￭ Ethical standards require individuals and organizations to avoid
using unlicensed or pirated software.
ETHICAL STANDARDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
27. 4. Software Piracy
⚬ Ethical Guidelines
• Support for Fair Competition:
￭ Ethical behavior in IT promotes fair competition in the software
industry. Software piracy can unfairly disadvantage legitimate
software developers and companies by undermining their ability to
compete in the market.
• Education and Awareness:
￭ Encouraging education and awareness about software piracy helps
individuals and organizations understand the legal and ethical
implications.
• Encouraging Legal Software Acquisition:
￭ Promoting the purchase or use of legal software encourages ethical
behavior.
ETHICAL STANDARDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
28. 4. Software Piracy
⚬ Ethical Guidelines
• Responsible Distribution and Sharing:
￭ Ethical standards discourage the unauthorized distribution or
sharing of software.
• Enforcement of Policies and Regulations:
￭ Organizations and governing bodies should enforce policies and
regulations that discourage software piracy.
ETHICAL STANDARDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Editor's Notes
#12:The doubling of computing power every 18 months has made it possible
for most organizations to use information systems for their core production
processes. As a result, our dependence on systems and our vulnerability to
system errors and poor data quality have increased. Social rules and laws have
not yet adjusted to this dependence.
Advances in data storage techniques and rapidly declining storage costs
have been responsible for the multiplying databases on individuals—employees, customers, and potential customers—maintained by private and public
organizations. These advances in data storage have made the routine violation
of individual privacy both cheap and effective. Very large data storage systems
capable of working with terabytes of data are inexpensive enough for large
firms to use in identifying customers.
#13:Advances in data analysis techniques enable companies and government agencies to use profiling to determine detailed information about individual’s habits and tastes and create dossiers of detailed information. Nonobvious relationship awareness (NORA) is a new data analysis technology that can take data about people from many sources and correlate relationships to find hidden connections to identify potential criminals and terrorists.
#14:Finally, advances in networking, including the Internet, promise to greatly
reduce the costs of moving and accessing large quantities of data and open the
possibility of mining large pools of data remotely using small desktop machines,
permitting an invasion of privacy on a scale and with a precision heretofore
unimaginable.
In short, Advances in networking reduce the costs of moving and accessing data, permitting privacy invasions on a vast scale.
#15:Responsibility :It is a key element of ethical action.
Liability: A feature of political systems in which a body of laws is in place that permits individuals to recover the damages done to them by other actors, systems, or organization
Due process is a related feature of law-governed societies and is a process in which laws are known and understood and there is an ability to appeal to higher authorities to ensure that the laws are applied correctly.
#16:-Separate fact from fiction.
-Remember, no matter how thin you slice it, there's always two sides.
-Determine who's really involved.
-Compromise; it doesn't always have to be an "either-or" outcome.
-Anticipate the outcome; it will help you devise better solutions.
#17:Once your analysis is complete, what ethical principles or rules should you use to make a decision? What higher-order values should inform your judgment?
before making a decision/judgement it is helpful to consider
some ethical principles
1. Putting yourself into the place of others, and thinking of yourself as the object of the decision, can help you think about fairness in decision making.
2. . Ask yourself, “If everyone did this, could the organization, or society, survive?”
3. This is the slippery-slope rule: An action may bring about a small change now that is acceptable, but if it is repeated, it would bring unacceptable changes in the long run. In the vernacular, it might be stated as “once started down a slippery path, you may not be able to stop.”
#18:4. This rule assumes you can prioritize values in a rank order and understand the consequences of various courses of action
5. Take the action that produces the least harm or the least potential cost
6. If something someone else has created is useful to you, it has value, and you should assume the creator wants compensation for this work
