Importance of computer ethics to the IT industry

6.1 Approaches in computer and information ethics

Computer ethics is a field of applied ethics that addresses ethical issues in the use, design and management of information technology and in the formulation of ethical policies for its regulation in society. For contemporary overviews of the field, see [Tavani, 2007; Weckert, 2007; Spinello and Tavani, 2004; Himma and Tavani, 2008]. Early work in computer ethics or cyberethics had already started in the 1940s, soon after the invention of the computer. MIT Professor Norbert Wiener was a precursor of the field, already identifying many issues of computer ethics in his book The Human Use of Human Beings [Wiener, 1950]. The term “computer ethics” was first introduced in the mid-1970s by Walter Maner, who also promoted the idea of teaching computer ethics in computer science curricula [Maner, 1980]. The watershed year of 1985 saw the appearance of seminal publications by Jim Moor [1985] and Deborah Johnson [1985] that helped define the field. Since then, it has become a recognized field of applied ethics, with its own journals and conference series. In recent years, the field is sometimes also related to a more general field of information ethics, which includes computer ethics, media ethics, library ethics, and bioinformation ethics.

Why would there be a need for computer ethics, while there is no need for a separate field of ethics for many other technologies, like automobiles and appliances? Jim Moor [1985] has argued that the computer has had an impact like no other recent technology. The computer seems to impact every sector of society, and seems to require us to rethink many of our policies, laws and behaviors. According to Moor, this great impact is due to the fact that computers have logical malleability, meaning that their structure allows them to perform any activity that can be specified as a logical relation between inputs and outputs. As a result computers can perform an incredible amount of functions, from word processor to communication device to gaming platform to financial manager.

The versatility of computers is an important reason for the occurrence of a computer revolution, or information revolution, which is now transforming many human activities and social institutions. Many important things that humans do, including many that raise moral questions like stealing from someone, defaming someone, or invading someone's privacy now also exist in electronic form. In addition, the computer also makes substantially new types of activities possible that are morally controversial, such as the creation of virtual child pornography for which no real children were abused. Because many of the actions made possible by computers are different and new, we often lack policies and laws to guide them. They generate what Moor has called policy vacuums, being the lack of clear policies or rules of conduct. The task of computer ethics, then, is to propose and develop new ethical policies, ranging from explicit laws to informal guidelines, to guide new types of actions that involve computers.

Computer ethics has taken off since its birth in the mid-80s, and has established itself as a mature field with its own scientific journals, conferences and organizations. The field initially attracted most of its interests from computer scientists and philosophers. However, given the wide implications for human action sketched by Moor, computer ethics is also of interest to other fields that focus on human behavior and social institutions, such as law, communication studies, education, political science and management. Moreover, computer ethics is also an important topic of debate in the public arena, and computer ethicists regularly contribute to public discussions regarding the use and regulating of computer technology.

Computer ethics is sometimes defined as a branch of professional ethics similar to other branches like engineering ethics and journalism ethics. On this view, the aim of computer ethics is to define and analyze the moral and professional responsibilities of computer professionals, for instance in the design, development and maintenance of computer hardware and software. Computer professionals are individuals employed in the information technology branch, for example as hardware or software engineer, web designer, network or database administrator, computer science instructor or computer-repair technician.

Within this approach to computer ethics, most attention goes to the discussion of ethical dilemmas that various sorts of computer professionals may face in their work and possible ways of approaching them. Such dilemmas may include, for example, the question how one should act as a web designer when one's employer asks one to install spyware into a site built for a client, or the question to what extent software engineers should be held accountable for harm incurred by software malfunction. Next to the discussion of specific ethical dilemmas, there is also general discussion of the responsibilities of computer professionals towards various other parties, such as clients, employers, colleagues, and the general public, and of the nature and importance of ethical codes in the profession. A recent topic of interest has been the development of methods for value-sensitive design, which is the design of software and systems in such a way that they conform to a desired set of [moral] values [Friedman, Kahn and Borning, 2006].

While the professional ethics view of computer ethics is influential, many in the field employ a broader conception that places the focus on general ethical issues in the use and regulation of information technology. This approach may be called the philosophical ethics approach to computer ethics. This conception holds, following Moor [1985], that computer ethics studies moral issues that are of broad societal importance, like information privacy and security, computer crime, issues of access and equity, and the regulation of commerce and speech on the Internet, and develops ethical policies to address them. It asks what ethical principles should guide our thinking about these issues, and what specific policies [laws, social and corporate policies, social norms] should regulate conduct with respect to them. Within this approach, some researchers focus on the development of ethical guidelines for users of computer technology. Others place more emphasis on policy issues, and try to formulate ethical policies for organizations, government agencies or lawmakers. Still others focus on computer technologies themselves, and try to identify and evaluate morally relevant features in their design. Some also focus on theoretical and metaethical issues.

Computer Ethics Institute

The Computer Ethics Institute has provided Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics [14], which are short and fairly straightforward. Both the name and format are reminiscent of the Ten Commandments of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but there is nothing overtly religious in nature about the Computer Ethics Institute's Ten Commandments, which are as follows:

Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.

Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.

Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.

Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.

Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.

Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.

Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.

Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.

Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing.

Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.

Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics22

The Computer Ethics Institute was developed as a public policy group to help define ethical behavior with the use of technology. The CEI was one of the first organizations to define a set of ethics for the use of computers. The specified 10 commandments of computer ethics.

Thou Shalt Not Use A Computer To Harm Other People.

Thou Shalt Not Interfere With Other People’s Computer Work.

Thou Shalt Not Snoop Around In Other People’s Computer Files.

Thou Shalt Not Use A Computer To Steal.

Thou Shalt Not Use A Computer To Bear False Witness.

Thou Shalt Not Copy Or Use Proprietary Software For Which You have Not Paid.

Thou Shalt Not Use Other People’s Computer Resources Without Authorization Or Proper Compensation.

Thou Shalt Not Appropriate Other People’s Intellectual Output.

Thou Shalt Think About The Social Consequences Of The Program You Are Writing Or The System You Are Designing.

Thou Shalt Always Use A Computer In Ways That Insure Consideration And Respect For Your Fellow Humans.

The 10 Commandments of IT Security: Slides 31–32

The following is a code of ethics suggested by the Computer Ethics Institute, Washington, D.C, USA.

Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.

Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.

Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.

Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.

Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.

Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.

Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.

Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.

Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing.

Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that insure consideration and respect for your fellow human being.

Using Peer Pressure to Fight Cybercrime

One way to reduce the incidence of Internet crime is to encourage groups to apply peer pressure to their members. If cybercriminals are shamed rather than admired, some will be less likely to engage in the criminal conduct. This method is especially effective when it comes to young people. Many teenage hackers commit network break-ins to impress their friends. If more technology-oriented young people were taught a code of computer ethics early—emphasizing that respect for others' property and territory in the virtual world is just as important as it is in the physical world—hackers might be no more admired by the majority of upstanding students than are the “bad kids” who steal cars or break into houses.

On the Scene

Certainly it's been shown that peer pressure and changes in peer group attitudes can affect behavior. To a large degree, the increasing social stigma associated with smoking has been linked with a decline in the percentage of smokers in the United States.

Of course, some people will commit crimes regardless of peer pressure, but this pressure is a valuable tool against many of those cybercriminals who are otherwise upstanding members of the community and whose criminal behavior online erroneously reflects the belief that “everyone does it.”

What are computer ethics and why is it more important?

How can you describe the importance of ethics in IT industry?

What is computer ethics in information technology?

What are the ethics for IT professionals and IT users?