Computing Ethics & Society

Ethics and Morality

• Ethics is a code of behavior defined by an individual or a group, studying what is right or wrong in human conduct.
• Morality refers to the set of standards that enable people to live cooperatively in groups, a system or set of ideas about right vs. wrong and good vs. evil behavior.
• Key differences between ethics and morality:
  • Ethics comes from Greek "ethos" meaning "character", whereas morality comes from Latin "mos" meaning "customs".
  • Morality is internal and subjective, influenced by religion, education, or personal philosophy.
  • Ethics are external and socially constructed, recognized by a certain institution.

Ethics vs. Morality vs. Law

• Law is a system of rules that tells us what we can and cannot do, enforced by institutions (police, courts, law-making bodies).
• Laws are not always ethical, and ethical acts do not always conform to the law.
• Practitioners in many professions subscribe to a code of ethics that states the principles and core values essential to their work.

Information Ethics

• Information ethics focuses on the relationship between the creation, organization, dissemination, and use of information, and the ethical standards and moral codes governing human conduct in society.
• It examines the morality that comes from information as a resource, a product, or as a target.
• It provides a critical framework for considering moral issues concerning informational privacy, moral agency, new environmental issues, and problems arising from the life-cycle of information.

Integrity

• Acting in accordance with a personal code of principles.
• Extending the same respect and consideration that one expects to receive from others.
• Applying the same moral codes in all situations, with consistency being difficult to achieve in situations that conflict with one's moral standards.

Trends Affecting Ethics

• More complex work environments spanning diverse cultures make it more difficult to apply principles and codes of ethics consistently.
• The challenging economic climate has increased the pressure on organizations to maintain revenue and profits.
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is important, as it involves taking responsibility for the impact of the organization's actions on shareholders, consumers, employees, community, and environment.
• Fostering good business ethics is important for gaining the goodwill of the community, creating an organization that operates consistently, and protecting the organization and its employees from legal action.

Decision Making

• A five-step model for decision making can be used to include ethical considerations:
  1. Define the problem.
  2. Identify alternatives.
  3. Choose an alternative.
  4. Implement the decision.
  5. Monitor the results.

Risks of Unethical Information Technology Use

• Surveillance of citizens by governments.
• Email and Internet access monitoring at work.
• Music and movies downloaded in violation of copyright laws.
• Unsolicited email and text messages.
• Plagiarism by students.
• Cookies and spyware used to track users' online purchases and activities.