Chapter no.

4 Ethical and Social

Issues in Information Systems
Instructor Name: Muhammad Ali
 Ethical & Social Issues in Information
Systems

Understanding Ethical and Social Issues Related to Systems

Principles of Right & Wrong, Acting as Morals that

Ethics Help Make Choices of Right & Wrong.

Information Systems IT as Rock Dropped in

& Ethics Pond, Creating Ripples of
New Situations.
Not Covered by Old Rules.

Social & Political Institutions Cannot Respond Overnight to These

Ripples.
 IT Advancements that Raise Ethical Issues

• Doubling of Computer Power, Decrease in Data Storage Cost

IT Trends • Network Advancing & The Internet.

Data Analysis • Profiling – Combining Data to Create Dossier.

Techniques • Combining Data from Multiple Sources to Find Hidden Connections.

Responsibility Accountability Liability Due Process

Immanuel Kant’s
Golden Rule Descartes’ Rule of Change
Ethical Categorical Imperative
Principles Ethical “No Free Lunch”
Utilitarian Principle Risk Aversion Principle
Rule
 Five-Step Ethical Analysis

• Identify and clearly describe the facts.

• Define the conflict or dilemma and identify the higher-order
values involved.
• Identify the stakeholders.
• Identify the options that you can reasonably take.
• Identify the potential consequences of your options.
• Bonus Step: Identify Privacy & Personal Space.

One Set of
Professional Codes of Interests Pitted
Conduct Against Anouther
Moral Dimensions of Information Systems

Fair Information Practices

• Set of principles governing the collection and use of
information Cookies

Notice/Awareness (Core
Choice/Consent (Core Principle)
Principle) Web
Bugs/
Web
Access/Participation Security Enforcement Beacon

European Directive on Data Protection

Spyware
Companies must inform people information is collected and disclose
how it is stored and used. Requires informed consent of customer.
Other Information

The United States Allows Businesses to Gather Transaction Information & Use this for
other Marketing Purposes.
Opt-out vs. opt-in model.

Property rights: Intellectual property

Intellectual property: intangible property of any kind created by individuals or
corporations.
Digital media different from physical media.
Online Industry Promotes Self-Regulation Over Privacy Legislation.

ASSIGNMENT NO. 2
Chapter Summary