This document discusses computer ethics and some of the key issues surrounding it. It begins by defining ethics and computers, then defines computer ethics as dealing with how to consume computing technology without damaging moral values. It outlines several issues in computer ethics like free speech on the internet, how computers can potentially concentrate power, and job elimination. It also discusses other concerns such as customer relations, biased software, stock trading manipulation, military weapons, property theft, embezzlement, privacy, and inappropriate access to data.

1. COMPUTER ETHICS

2. COMPUTERS
Computers have become the technological
backbone of society as their complexity,
applications and sheer numbers continue
to increase. They have become helpful in
the advancement of the technology that we
use today.

3. COMPUTERS
Also today, computers have a wide
variety of applications and uses in
the industry such as in education,
business, engineering and scientific
research.

4. COMPUTERS
Computers are also beneficial in our
daily lives such as communication
with other people, watching movies
and videos, listening to music,
studying, etc…

5. COMPUTERS
Since computers are still only a few
decades old, it is difficult to foresee all
the moral issues that will surround them.
Many of these issues are free speech,
privacy, respect for property, informed
consent and harm.

6. COMPUTERS
In order to deal with these issues, it is
important to learn computer ethics.
Computer ethics has importance to
those who work with computers such as
programmers, designers and systems
analysts.

7. WHAT IS COMPUTER ETHICS?

8. WHAT IS ETHICS?
Ethics is defined as moral principles that
govern a person's behaviour or the
conducting of an activity.

9. WHAT IS COMPUTER?
Computer is defined as an electronic
device for storing and processing data,
typically in binary form, according to
instructions given to it in a variable
program.

10. WHAT IS COMPUTER ETHICS?
Computer ethics deals with the procedures,
values and practices that govern the process
of consuming computing technology and its
related disciplines without damaging or
violating the moral values and beliefs of any
individual, organization or entity.

11. ISSUES AND CONCERNS ON
COMPUTER ETHICS

12. THE INTERNET AND FREE SPEECH
The Internet has extended all issues in
computer ethics. It is the most powerful
communication technology ever
developed as it is used daily by
hundreds of millions of people.

13. The Internet has greatly improved
communication as it provides a
wellspring of new ways to be in contact
with other people and with sources of
information.

14. Also, the Internet created greater
convenience in ordering consumer
items, paying bills, and trading stocks
and bonds.

15.  Like other major “social experiments,” it also
has raised a host of new issues. One set of
issues centers on free speech, including
control of obscene forms of pornography, hate
speech, spam (unwanted commercial
speech), and libel.

16. POWER RELATIONSHIPS
Computers and the Internet dramatically
increase the ability of centralized
bureaucracies to manage high quantities
of data, involving multiple variables and
at astonishing speed.

17. Social critics have been alarmed during the
1960’s and 1970’s that computers would
concentrate power in a few centralized
bureaucracies of big government and big
business, thereby eroding democratic
systems by moving toward totalitarianism.

18. Eventually, these were unjustified but
they have lessened due to recent
developments of computer technology.

19. There are actually reasons why it is
believed that computers would inevitably
tend to centralize power:
Early large computers are much efficient
in dealing large tasks.

20. The development of microcomputers
changed all this as small computers
became increasingly powerful and
economically competitive with larger
models.

21. Computer have been linked for the
purpose in exchanging information and
therefore making up the Internet.

22. Despite being feared before, computers
are powerful tools that do not by
themselves generate power shifts. They
contribute to greater centralization or
decentralization insofar as human
decision makers direct them.

23. JOB ELIMINATION
Computers have led and will continue to
lead to the elimination of some jobs.
Since computers are much more
efficient, employers tend to eliminate
human costs.

24. CUSTOMER RELATIONS
It can be either very difficult or relatively
simple for a consumer to notice and correct
computer errors or computer printed errors.
The prices on cash register receipts have
been shown to sometimes vary from those
posted on the shelves.

25. BIASED SOFTWARE
Sometimes a software can be biased in
one direction or another as the
development of a software can be
influenced by the political and social
perspective of the developer.

26. STOCK TRADING
Programmed trading is the automatic,
hands-off, computer trading of stocks,
futures, and options on the stock market.
Control over the market is a big problem
as some are manipulating the market in
order to increase profit.

27. MILITARY WEAPONS
Many military weapons can be controlled
and used through computers. Many of
these are kept in secrecy but the
problem will be the unprovoked attacks
that will be caused by these weapons.

28. PROPERTY
The major concern here is the issue on
embezzlement and other forms of
stealing money or financial assets.
Another issue will be software and
information theft.

29. EMBEZZLEMENT
Through computers, theft and fraud is
done much easier as computers are
much faster and at the same time, can
cover a large area. Another problem will
be anonymity, as the transaction will be
harder to trace.

30. DATA AND SOFTWARE
The issue about data and software
concerns about copyright as some
programmers develop software which
can be a copy of another program and
make some changes into it and sell it
into a new one.

31. PRIVACY
By making more data available to more
people with more ease, computers make
privacy more vulnerable to others.

32. INAPPROPRIATE ACCESS
If you commit a crime, any information
gathered about it will be recorded in
computers which will be easily accessed
by law enforcement officer. Through the
record, it will create a standing bias
against you to those who will see it.

33. HACKERS
Hackers break the limits of access to
information such as individual privacy,
national security and freedom within a
capitalist economy to protect proprietary
information essential in pursuing
corporate goals.

34. LEGAL RESPONSES
Laws on information access have been a
huge problem to people as privacy can
be easily invaded by hackers and the
laws to implement these violations are
very inconvenient and expensive.