2. Computer Ethics
“Computer ethics is set of moral principles that regulate the use of computers”
Moral issue such as free speech, privacy, respect for property, informed consent,
and harm.
Computers have become the technological backbone of society due their
complexity, range of applications, and sheer numbers which continue to increase.
Electronic computers are still only a few decades old, and it is difficult to foresee
all the moral issues that will eventually surround them.
Computer ethics has special importance for professionals working as designers of
computers, programmers, systems analysts, and operators.
“Computer abuse” is unethical or illegal conduct of computers.
3. Internet
Internet is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses
the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and
devices.
Internet which is now a global network of networks, initially using the
infrastructure of the telephone system and now carried by many
telecommunication systems by wire, fiber, or wireless systems.
The Internet has magnified all issues in computer ethics.
Internet has brought forward issues of free speech, including hate speech, control
of obscene forms of pornography, spam (unwanted commercial speech), and
defamation(libel).
4. Internet Free Speech Issues
Hate speech, speech or expression that unfairly criticizes a person or persons on
the basis of (alleged) membership in a social group identified by attributes such as
race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, physical or mental
disability, and others.
Pornography is representation of sexual behavior in books, pictures, statues,
motion pictures, and other media that is intended to cause sexual excitement.
Spamming is the use of messaging systems to send an unsolicited message to
large numbers of recipients for the purpose of commercial advertising, non-
commercial conversions, or for any prohibited purpose.
Defamation is the oral or written communication of a false statement about
another that unjustly harms their reputation and usually constitutes a tort or crime.
5. Combating Internet Free Speech
Two types of control of pornography and hate speech have been attempted:
Top-down control by governments, and bottom-up controls by individuals and
groups in the marketplace.
Web sites that provide rating services for screening material should avoid hidden
political agendas.
Some enthusiasts however, argue that controlling free speech on the Internet
would undermine principles of freedom, equality, and opportunity power of
tyrants who have blocked democratic freedoms in their country.
6. Power RelationshipsEarlier it was thought computers would concentrate power in a few centralized
bureaucracies, however with advent of microcomputers small size with high power,
economically competitive with larger models, remote access and time-sharing made it
decentralized.
A few moral issues about power relationships are;
Job Elimination computers continue to lead to the elimination of some jobs.
Customer Relations public accountability of businesses using computer-based
services.
Biased Software programs can be biased like any form of communication or way of
doing things.
Stock Trading Programmed trading is the automatic, hands off, computer trading of
stocks, futures, and options on the stock market.
Military Weapons autonomous weapons that can be aimed and fired by onboard
computers that make all necessary decisions, including enemy identification.
7. Property
There are two critical issues regarding property rights in computers
1. Embezzlement
2. Theft of software and information
8. Privacy
Storage, retrieval, and transmission of information using computers as data processors has
revolutionized communication. Yet this very benefit poses moral threats to the right to privacy.
Related issues are;
Inappropriate Access
Hackers
Legal Responses
