ETHICAL ISSUES ON

USING COMPUTER
Samantha Cheska B. Carnate BSCpE V
ETHICS

 Ethics is a set of moral principles that govern the

behavior of a group or individual. Therefore,
computer ethics is set of moral principles that
regulate the use of computers. Some common issues
of computer ethics include intellectual property
rights (such as copyrighted electronic content),
privacy concerns, and how computers affect society.
COPYRIGHT & PRIVACY

 Certain items of media, such as public domain books,

movies and music, are available for all to enjoy and
even download. Items of media which are copyrighted
are not in the public domain and downloading and
distributing them is illegal. Unfortunately, online piracy
is widespread and notoriously difficult to prosecute, so
it often goes without consequence. The same could be
said for plagiarism, which is made easier to do and
harder to track with the number of resources online.
COMPUTER CRIME

 The availability of information that can be accessed with a

computer paired with a lax attitude toward security means
credit card numbers and identities are constantly at risk.
Entering your credit card on a seemingly innocuous website may
seem like an everyday activity, but that site could be a clever
scam designed to fraud you out of your hard-earned money.
While the amount and extent of computer crime is frightening,
it's a reality and therefore it's necessary for consumers to
protect themselves by purchasing from trusted retailers or
using third-party payment services to protect their money.
CHILD SAFETY

 Children may be computer savvy, but technology also

exposes them to a number of risks, including graphic
sexual images, sexual predators who solicitor youngsters
on chat rooms and through email, and online bullying,
particularly on social networking sites. Parents can help
keep their children safe by monitoring their online
activity and installing software that filters out sexual
content and making use of child friendly search engines,
such as Surf Safely and Ask Kids. Contact the police if
your child tells you that she is being harassed or stalked
on the Internet.
MORAL AND ETHICAL
DILEMMAS
INTRODUCTION

 Moral dilemmas are situations in which moral

reasons come into conflict, or in which the
applications of moral values are unclear, and it is
not immediately obvious what should be done.
 Moral (or ethical) dilemmas arise in engineering,
as elsewhere, because moral values are many and
varied, and can make competing claims.
Example of Moral Dilemma

 Engineer John, an environmental engineer, is retained

by a major industrial owner to examine certain lands
adjacent to an abandoned industrial facility formerly
owned and operated by the owner. The owner’s
attorney requests as a condition of the retention
agreement that Engineer John sign a secrecy provision
whereby Engineer John would agree not to disclose any
data, findings, conclusions, or other information
relating to his examination of the owner’s land to any
other party unless ordered by a court. Engineer John
signs the secrecy provision.
Example of Moral Dilemma

 Dilemma: lack of clarity about how two moral

values applied in the situation: (a) confidentiality
and (b) the paramount responsibility to protect
the public safety, health and welfare.
 Engineer John signs the confidentiality
agreement. If dangers to the public are
discovered and if the client (the owner) refuses to
remedy them, the engineer would be obligated to
notify the proper authorities.
Example of Moral Dilemma

 But should Engineer John go back to the client

(owner) and ask to have the secrecy provision
revoked?
 And if the client (owner) refuses, should Engineer
John break the contract, a step that might have
legal repercussions? Or should Engineer John
simply hope that no problems will arise and
continue with his or her contracted work,
postponing any hard decisions until later?
Example of Moral Dilemma

 As these questions indicate, dilemmas can

generate further dilemmas.
 In this instance, possibly more than one option is
reasonable – if not ideal, at least permissible.
Steps in Resolving Ethical Dilemmas

 Reasonable solutions to ethical dilemmas are

clear, informed, and well-reasoned.
 Clear refers to moral clarity: clarity about which
moral values are at stake and how they pertain to
the situation. It also refers to conceptual clarity:
precision in using the key concepts (ideas)
applicable in the situation.
Steps in Resolving Ethical Dilemmas

 Informed means knowing and appreciating the

implications of morally relevant facts. In addition,
it means being aware of alternative course of
action and what they entail.
 Well-reasoned means that good judgment is
exercised in integrating the relevant moral values
and facts to arrive at a morally desirable solution.
Good
Day