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Legal and Ethical Issues

This document discusses several legal and ethical issues related to information and communication technology (ICT). It identifies key issues such as privacy, digital ownership, data gathering, security liability, and access costs. For each issue, it explores both the evolving legal implications as well as important ethical considerations regarding monitoring of personal data and accounts, intellectual property rights, government surveillance, and ensuring affordable internet access. The document also examines ethical practices like plagiarism, spam, and censorship as well as the spread of inaccurate information online.

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muwanga denis
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253 views12 pages

Legal and Ethical Issues

This document discusses several legal and ethical issues related to information and communication technology (ICT). It identifies key issues such as privacy, digital ownership, data gathering, security liability, and access costs. For each issue, it explores both the evolving legal implications as well as important ethical considerations regarding monitoring of personal data and accounts, intellectual property rights, government surveillance, and ensuring affordable internet access. The document also examines ethical practices like plagiarism, spam, and censorship as well as the spread of inaccurate information online.

Uploaded by

muwanga denis
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES

IN ICT
Edited by
Dr. Gajanana Prabhu B.
Assistant Professor
Department of P G Studies in Physical Education
Kuvempu University
Introduction
• The rapid rise of technology has raised a host of legal and ethical
issues that are unique to the 21st century.
• Material on the internet is protected by copyright.
• There is no legal right to copy other people’s work or make it public
on the internet.
• As information technology becomes increasingly influential, the
ethical and legal considerations become similarly relevant.
• Advances in communication technology have outpaced the
development of accompanying legal standards and ethics codes.
Ethical and legal issues confronting ICT
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with what is considered to
be right or wrong. Following are some issues:
1. Privacy
2. Digital Ownership
3. Data Gathering
4. Security Liability
5. Access Costs
Privacy
• Most people have their personal data spread throughout the digital
world.
• Even things thought to be secure, such as email or private accounts,
can be accessed by unintended sources.
• Privacy has evolving legal implications, but there are also ethical
considerations.
• Do people know how their accounts are monitored?
• To what extent is such monitoring occurring?
Digital Ownership
• Digital mediums have allowed information to flow more freely than before.
• Legal and ethical backlash.
• Things can be easily copied and pasted online, which makes intellectual
property hard to control.
• Legal notions such as copyright have struggled to keep up with the digital
era.
• Music and entertainment industries have pushed for greater legal
protections.
• other activists have sought to provide greater freedoms for the exchange of
ideas in the digital realm.
Data Gathering
• Everyone knows that their online lives are monitored.
• The United States has even passed legislation allowing the
government to actively monitor private citizens in the name of
national security.
• debate about what information can be gathered and why.
• Do people know what information is being monitored?
• Do they have a right to know how their data is being used?
Security Liability
• Security systems for digital networks are computerized in order to
protect vital information and important assets.
• this increased security comes with increased surveillance.
• it is a question of what risks are acceptable and what freedoms can
be forfeited.
• IT professionals need to balance risk with freedom to create a security
system that is effective and ethical at the same time.
Access Costs
• Proponents want the Internet to remain open to everyone while
some businesses want to create tiered access for those who are
willing to pay.
• The issue even extends to private Internet usage since the cost of
service in some areas may be cost prohibitive.
• The larger ethical question is whether or not digital exchange is now a
universal right.
• The cost of access can impede business growth, entrepreneurial spirit
and individual expression.
Ethical practices
• Plagiarism – copying material without attributing or referencing the source
of the information.
• This could also involve using websites which sell essays or coursework.
• Sending spam (i.e., the same advertising to millions of people) – people
waste time deleting spam if the spam filter allows it through.
• Companies monitoring staff use of the Internet and .
• Some organizations will even read personals.
• Using someone’s wireless Internet connection without permission.
• Sometimes it is possible to connect to the Internet using an open network.
The net result of using the network is to slow the network down for
legitimate users.
Accuracy of Information
• There is no guarantee that any information on the Internet is accurate
or true.
• Some web sites giving medical advice have been known to give wrong
information but they are not held liable.
• Magazines can write untrue stories.
• Individuals can spread malicious rumors about people.
Censorship
• No-one owns the Internet.
• It is international.
• Material which would be illegal if published in hard copy form is freely
available on the Internet e.g. racist propaganda, bomb making
instructions, pornography.
• Some say the Internet should be censored but who will do the
censoring and how can centralised control be implemented.
• If you ban sites will they become more appealing so people will
search for them more avidly
Moral issues
• Spreading rumors – it is easy to spread rumors using the Internet.
• When rumors are started over the Internet it is difficult to identify the
person responsible.
• Inappropriate websites – people are able to view inappropriate
material such as pornography, racism, violent videos, how to make
explosives, etc.
• Bullying – in chat rooms, by , in blogs, by text message is a problem
especially for the young.
• Deliberately setting up websites containing incorrect information –
people may rely on and use this information thinking it is correct.

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