ETHICS IN IT

ENVIRONMENT
 ETHICS IN IT ENVIRONMENT

• "With great power comes great responsibility."

Often attributed to Stan Lee, this quote is
especially relevant in IT, where the power of
technology must be balanced with ethical
responsibility.
"Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master."
Christian Lous Lange.
• This emphasizes that while technology can enhance our
lives, it requires ethical stewardship to avoid harm.
• "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to
ruin it." – Warren Buffett.
• In IT, this underscores how quickly unethical actions can
destroy trust and credibility.
 Ethics

"Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a

right to do and what is right to do." – Potter Stewart.
• Perfect for highlighting the importance of responsible
decision-making in IT, even when laws are not explicit.
 Introduction

• IT is among the entities revolutionizing the world at present. It is rightly true to

believe that the IT industry is growing at reasonably high speed and a driving force
behind other technological development.
• Social network sites such as twitter, facebook, Skype, etc have captured a number of
participants all in different age bracket – it is believed that the oldest fun of facebook
is a lady aged 101 years!
• IT outburst comes with a number of challenges to the extent of posing security
threats!
• Professional law and ethics in computing is brought on board to bring to order such
issues like man-tailored information security threats and computer misuse acts
especially in the e-era.
 What is ethics?

• Derived from the Greek word “ethos”, which means “custom”, “habit”, and “way of
living”
• Ethics is concerned with human conduct, i.e., behavior of individuals in society. It
has something to do with moral discipline of an individual.
• Ethics is a system of morals of a particular person, religion or a group
• Moral: means dealing with, or capable of, distinguishing between right and wrong,
and between just and unjust
 What is ethics?

• Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with questions about

what is morally right and wrong, good and bad, fair and unfair.

• It involves the study of principles and values that guide human

behavior and decision-making, often aiming to establish standards for
how individuals should act in various situations.
 IT ethics

• IT ethics, or information technology ethics, refers to the moral

principles and standards that guide the use, development, and
management of technology and information systems.
• It involves addressing ethical concerns related to the use of
computers, networks, and data in areas such as privacy, security,
intellectual property, and the digital divide.
• IT ethics helps ensure that technology is used responsibly, with
consideration for its social, legal, and human impacts.
 Ethics can be divided into several key areas

Normative Ethics
Focuses on determining what constitutes right or wrong behavior. It includes various theories and
approaches, such as consequentialism (which judges actions by their outcomes), deontology (which
focuses on adherence to rules or duties), and virtue ethics (which emphasizes moral character).
Applied Ethics
Examines how ethical principles are applied in specific contexts, such as medical ethics, business ethics,
or environmental ethics. It seeks to address practical moral issues and dilemmas in these fields.
Meta-Ethics
Explores the nature of ethical statements, judgments, and values. It questions whether moral values are
objective or subjective, and how ethical language and reasoning are grounded.
Descriptive Ethics
Studies how people actually behave and what moral beliefs and practices they hold, without making
judgments about what is right or wrong.
 Aims

• The course is aimed at instilling professional and ethical conduct amongst IT (computer)
professionals and users.
• It is intended to neutralize the greed and unbecoming conducts amongst IT consumers
that would use computer facilities for their own satisfaction at the expense of others.
• It aims at streamlining and standardizing computer usage globally, and put in place
guiding and legal proceedings on computer and information related misuse deeds.
• Guides government and other legal entities to come up with stringent laws and
penalties to apprehend such culprits involved or found guilty of committing such crimes
using computer facilities.
• Etc.
 Why study Ethics?

Technology can be a blessing and a curse…. Fire is a prime

example of a technology that kicked off civilization, yet
undoubtedly has caused several damages including human life.

Many people have lost their valuable items and even suffered
death from fires, but countless many people lived long productive
lives because society had fire….

Ethics in the IT environment is essential because it guides the

behavior and decisions of individuals and organizations as they
navigate the complex world of technology.
 Why study Ethics?

•Data Privacy and Security, IT professionals handle vast amounts of sensitive

data, from personal information to corporate secrets. Ethical guidelines ensure that
data is protected, used responsibly, and not exploited for malicious purposes.

•Intellectual Property Rights, In the digital space, it is easy to copy or distribute

software, media, and other creations. Ethical standards help protect the rights of
creators and ensure that intellectual property is respected.

•Transparency and Accountability, Ethical IT practices demand transparency in

the development and implementation of technology, ensuring that stakeholders are
informed about how technology impacts them and that organizations are held
accountable for their actions.
 Why study Ethics?

•Social Impact and Fairness, Technology has the power to shape society, and
ethical considerations ensure that its development does not reinforce biases,
discrimination, or inequity. This includes issues like fair access to technology and
the ethical use of AI and automation.

•Legal and Compliance, Many IT ethics intersect with legal requirements, such as
GDPR, HIPAA, and copyright laws. Ethical behavior helps professionals navigate
and comply with these regulations, avoiding legal risks.

•Professional Integrity, In IT, trust is a critical currency. Ethical behavior promotes

honesty, integrity, and fairness, maintaining trust between IT professionals, their
clients, and the public.
 Areas where Computer Technology is applied with ease

• Medical – diagnostics, patient register systems, radiotherapy, e-healthy systems, breathalyzers,

etc, etc….
• Commerce – online products selling and buying, services, etc.
• Automation – customer relations management systems, enterprise resource management, library
information systems, revenue tracking systems, etc…
• Complex Systems that require computers – robots, radars, etc
• Communication – wireless and mobile systems, sensors, etc…
• Etc……
 Negative effects of computers and computer systems

• Loss of Privacy
• Theft of Intellectual Property
• Computer Errors
• Sight effects
• Conflicts
• …………………
 Ethical issues

• Ethical
1. pertaining to or dealing with morals or the principles of morality; pertaining to right
and wrong in conduct.
2. in accordance with the rules or standards for right conduct or practice, esp., the
standards of a profession.

• Examples:
• Should companies collect and/or sell customer data?
• Should IT specialists monitor and report employee computer use?
 Ethical vs. Legal Issues

• Ethical issues are not legal issues.

• Legal issues have documented definitions (laws) with specific consequences if the laws
are broken.

• Ethical issues are guidelines set by a specific group of people with no real documented
definitions of what is right and what is wrong.

• Individuals can choose if they wish to follow the ethical guidelines or not.
 Law Vs. Ethics
LAW Ethics
• Described by formal written • Described by unwritten principles
documents • Interpreted by each individual
• Presented by philosophers,
• Interpreted by courts religions, professional groups
• Established by legislatures • Personal choice
representing all people • Priority determined by an
individual if two principles conflict
• Applicable to everyone • No external arbiter
• Priority determined by laws if two • Limited enforcement –usually the
laws conflict “court of public opinion”

• Court is final arbiter for right

• Enforceable by police and courts
 Legal issues in computing

• Criminal statutes
• Federal and state regulations – a nation’s ICT regulations.
• Commonly accepted professional practices.
• Variations among countries and regions – regional policies
• Unauthorized access
• Sabotage and destruction of data
• Theft of commercial software and other applications.
• Intellectual property laws
 Legal Issues in computing cnt’d….

• Ownership of custom software – who owns what?

– The programmer / developer?
– The company which hired the developers?

The potential for malfunction or abuse of computer systems has created a wide range of
social & legal issues to be addressed.
 The Three Ethical Decision Theories.

These theories explain how people make ethical decisions,

and are guidelines to how individuals look at an ethical issue
and make a decision. They include:

• Utilitarianism Theory

• Pluralism Theory

• Rights-based Theory
 Utilitarianism Theory

• Utilitarianism is a theory in normative ethics holding that the proper

course of action is the one that maximizes overall "happiness". It is
now generally taken to be a form of consequentialism. From a
consequentialist standpoint, a morally right act is one that will
produce a good outcome, or consequence.
• According to utilitarianism the moral worth of an action is
determined only by its resulting outcome.
• Considers the ethical issue and its relationship to individuals.
• Makes a decision based on what benefits the most people. "The
greater good of the most people".
 Pluralism Theory

• Believes there are two options in an ethical issue, right and wrong decisions.
• Pluralism stresses each person has a decision-making duty, must make ethical
decisions based on that duty, and never break away from the decision-making
duty.
• All decisions are clear-cut, black and white, E.g. No one should ever lie, steal,
kill, ……….
 Rights-based Theory

• All people have rights, and those rights must be respected.

• Decisions are based on respecting individual rights.
• E.g. you should never read a person’s email because it violates a
person’s rights to privacy, and resist the temptation.
 Some case studies on IT ethical situations

Data Privacy Breach

• A health insurance company stores sensitive patient data on its servers. An employee
discovers a vulnerability in the system that could potentially allow hackers to access
this information. However, instead of reporting the issue, the employee downloads
patient data to use for personal gain.
Ethical Issue:- The employee’s actions breach data privacy and confidentiality, violating
ethical standards related to protecting sensitive information. This also leads to
potential identity theft or discrimination against patients.
Discussion
• Should the employee be held responsible for exploiting the vulnerability, or should
the company be blamed for poor security practices?
• How should companies ethically handle discovered vulnerabilities in their systems?
 Some case studies on IT ethical situations

AI and Bias in Hiring

A company uses an AI system to screen job applicants. Over time, it's discovered that the
AI is disproportionately rejecting applications from certain racial or ethnic groups because
the training data had inherent biases.
Ethical Issue: -The use of biased data to make decisions can lead to discriminatory hiring
practices. While the AI system was meant to improve efficiency, it raises ethical concerns
about fairness and equality.
Discussion
• What responsibilities do companies have in ensuring that their AI systems do not
perpetuate bias?
• How should biases in AI systems be identified and corrected to ensure ethical hiring
practices?
 Some case studies on IT ethical situations

Whistleblowing in IT
An IT employee working for a government contractor discovers that their company is
overcharging the government for services not rendered. They are faced with the dilemma
of whether to blow the whistle or keep quiet for fear of retaliation.
Ethical Issue:- Whistleblowing involves ethical concerns about exposing wrongdoing while
balancing loyalty to one’s employer and the potential personal risks involved.
Discussion
• Is whistleblowing ethically justified when it exposes corruption or fraud?
• How should companies create a culture that encourages ethical reporting of issues?
 Question

What are some examples of ethical issues concerning

the use of computers?