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BC 200418645

The document discusses ethical violations in releasing tax preparation software with critical bugs, highlighting risks to public safety and financial harm to users as per IEEE and ACM codes of ethics. It suggests steps for the software engineer to address the situation, including postponing the release and communicating the severity of the issues. Additionally, it outlines potential legal liabilities and reputational damage the company may face if the software is released as is.

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Saad Sajid
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8 views1 page

BC 200418645

The document discusses ethical violations in releasing tax preparation software with critical bugs, highlighting risks to public safety and financial harm to users as per IEEE and ACM codes of ethics. It suggests steps for the software engineer to address the situation, including postponing the release and communicating the severity of the issues. Additionally, it outlines potential legal liabilities and reputational damage the company may face if the software is released as is.

Uploaded by

Saad Sajid
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CS625

Assignment no 1
(BC200418645)
Question:
Suppose you are a software engineer working at a mid-sized tech company. Your
team is developing a new tax preparation software that will be released to the public soon.
During testing, you discover several critical bugs that could cause users to file incorrect tax
returns, potentially leading to financial penalties. The company’s owner insists on releasing
the software as "Version 1.0" with a disclaimer to capture market share, arguing that bugs are
common in early releases and will be fixed in updates.

a) Based on the IEEE and ACM Codes of Ethics, what are the key ethical violations
in this scenario?
Answer:
The IEEE and ACM codes of ethics emphasize principles like responsibility, integrity, and
the obligation to avoid them harm. Here are the key ethical violations:
 Violates public safety by releasing faulty tax software. (IEEE Product Principle)
 Releasing faulty tax software risks financial harm to user. (ACM General Imperative)
 The decision to launch with known defects, even with a disclaimer, compromise
integrity and misleads (ACM Honest & trustworthiness)

b) What steps should you, as a professional software engineer, take to address this
situation?

Answer:
 Suggest postponing the release until critical bugs are resolved.
 Clearly communicate the severity and impact of the bugs
 If management refuse to listen, report concern internally to a higher authority or ethics
committee.

c) How might this decision affect the company’s legal liability and reputation?

Answer:
Releasing faulty software knowingly exposes the company to lawsuits, legal penalties
for negligence and damages user trust. Loss of consumer trust can affect market success.
Negative reviews and verbal complaints can discourage future customer.

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