Computer Ethics

Topic One
Diploma in Computer Science
Year two 2021
 Definition of Computer Ethics
Ethics, in the classical sense, refers to the rules and standards
governing the conduct of an individual with others.

As technology and computers became more and more a part of

our everyday lives, and since the introduction of the World Wide
Web, the definition of ethics has evolved, too.

A new type of ethics known as computer ethics has emerged.

Computer ethics is concerned with standards of conduct as
they pertain to computers.
It deals with how computing professionals should make
decisions regarding professional and social conduct.
Moral guidelines that govern use of computers and information
systems

otion of the World Wide Web, the definition of ethics has evolved, too. A new type of ethics known as computer ethics has emerged. Computer ethics is concerned with standards of conduct as they pertain to computers. It deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional
and social conduct.
 Ethical or Unethical
• Basically Computer ethics are just
knowing the difference between ethical
and unethical. For example, while it is
easy to duplicate copyrighted electronic (or
digital) content, computer ethics would
suggest that it is wrong to do so without
the author's approval.
• And while it may be possible to access
someone's personal information on a
computer system, computer ethics would
advise that such an action is unethical.
 Guidelines of ethics
Generally, the following guidelines should be observed by computer
users:

•1. Honesty: Users should be truthful while using the internet.

•2. Confidentiality: Users should not share any important information

with unauthorized people.

•3. Respect: Each user should respect the privacy of other users.

•4. Professionalism: Each user should maintain professional conduct.

•5. Obey The Law: Users should strictly obey the cyber law in
computer usage.

•6. Responsibility: Each user should take ownership and

responsibility for their actions
 Issues in Computer Ethics
• Four primary issues
– Privacy – responsibility to protect data about
individuals
– Accuracy - responsibility of data collectors to
authenticate information and ensure its
accuracy
– Property - who owns information and software
and how can they be sold and exchanged
– Access - responsibility of data collectors to
control access and determine what information
a person has the right to obtain about others
and how the information can be used
 Areas of Concern in Computer
Ethics
• There are three major areas which
come under the umbrella of computer
ethics:
Copyright and intellectual property

Netiquette

Day-to-day Ethics
 Ethical Principles
• Ethical principals are tools which are
used to think through difficult situations.
• Three useful ethical principals:
– An act is ethical if all of society benefits
from the act.
– An act is ethical if people are treated as
an end and not as a means to an end.
– An act is ethical if it is fair to all parties
involved.
Definition of Intellectual property
Intellectual property refers to creations of the
intellect (hence, the name): inventions,
literary and artistic works, symbols, names,
images, and designs used in commerce are a
part of it.

Intellectual property is usually divided into

two branches, namely:-
Industrial property which broadly speaking
protects inventions and
copyright, which protects literary and artistic
works.
 Categorizing the Intellectual
property
Intellectual property is divided into two categories:-

1.
Industrial property, which includes inventions
(patents), trademarks, industrial designs, commercial
names, designations and geographic indications
(location specific brands) etc.

2. Copyright, which includes literary and artistic

works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical
works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings,
photographs, sculptures, and architectural designs.
 What can you do with Copyright
In most European languages other than English,
copyright is known as author’s right.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),
has established similar guidelines in its Copyright
Law, for example. It is also generally agreed that the
owner of the copyright (and only the owner!) is
authorized to do the following with the work:
 reproduce it
 prepare derivative works based upon it
 distribute copies of it to the public
 perform the work publicly (if applicable)
 display the work publicly.
What it protects and what not
 In summary, copyright laws protect intellectual
property which includes literary and artistic works
such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical
works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings,
photographs and sculptures, and architectural
designs.
 But unlike protection of inventions, copyright law
protects only the form of expressions of ideas, not
the ideas themselves.
 Remember that a created work is considered
protected as soon as it exists, and a public register of
copyright protected work is not necessary.
 Copyright on Internet
 But what of works made available to the public on
the Internet? Are they at all protected by copyright?
Once again, yes! For works made available over a
communications network (such as the Internet), the
copyright protects original authorship.
 But, according to the Copyright Law, it does not
protect ideas, procedures, systems, or methods of
operation.
 This means that once such an online work has been
made public, nothing in the copyright laws prevents
others from developing another work based on
similar principles, or ideas.
 Netiquettes
Netiquettes are about the various risks
related to using the Internet.

It is about proper ways in which to use a

network and to determine whether
information is reliable, while emphasizing
four important points given in next slides.
 E-Mail Netiquette
• Promptly respond to messages.
• Delete messages after you read them if you
don’t need to save the information.
• Don’t send messages you wouldn’t want
others to read.
• Keep the message short and to the point.
• Don’t type in all capital letters.
• Be careful with sarcasm and humor in
your message.
 1. Real people exist behind the computers

 You are dealing with people, not machines. So think

twice before you click on Send button in the
mail/chat window
 You are not the only one using the network
 Keep these other people in mind when you say
something on a network.
 2. Protect your privacy
Just as you would in the real world, be aware of
risks, fraud and false information which exists on the
Internet. Use common sense when deciding
whether information is valid. Don't trust or spread
further any information about which you are in
doubt. Always try to obtain reliable information.

Protect your personal information to keep someone

from using it in an unethical way. (For example,
when you enter a prize contest, your name, address,
and phone number may be given to a dealer of
personal information.)
 3. Avoid Spamming
 Spamming is sending unsolicited bulk and/or
commercial messages over the Internet.

 Spamming is morally bad if it is intended to

destroy and done by infringing on the right of
privacy of others.

 It could be good if the message sent benefits

the recipients, like giving out warnings or
useful information to others.
 4. Help make the network better
• The existence of the information society is
based on give and take. Making a
contribution is an essential part of being a
good network user.

• For example, if you make a request and

find the information you receive helpful,
write a summary and report what you
learned , publish it on the Net or give links
to others.
 Day-to-day ethics
• In next few slides, the ethics related to day-to-day
use of computers are mentioned. All of us must be
knowing these already, because these are just
modified forms of ethics told to us by our grand
parents/parents, like:-
 don’t open letters of others,
 don’t copy the home-work from others,
 don’t listen to any conversation secretly etc.
 Software Piracy

 Software piracy is morally bad when someone

reproduces a copy of the software and sells it for
profit, produces exactly the same or similar
version without giving proper credit to the original
author, or simply produces it and distributes it to
others.

 It is not immoral to copy the software if someone

who has a licensed copy of the software and
simply makes a backup copy of the original.

 One back-up copy of the commercial software can

be made, but the back-up copy cannot be used
except when the original package fails or is
destroyed
 Creation of worms/computer viruses
Creation of worms and computer viruses is morally bad
when it is intended for malicious purposes like to steal
information or destroying of data.

However, it could be used like a vaccine – poison to kill

another poison – to cure or prevent a potentially
destructive system from wreaking havoc in the network.

The way some worms and viruses work could be used to

gather information that could help protect the majority
of computer users.
 Plagiarism
 Plagiarism is copying someone else's
work and then passing it off as one's
own. It is morally bad because it is an
act of stealing.

 Copying programs written by other

programmers and claiming it as your
own could be an act of plagiarism. It
involves lying, cheating, theft, and
dishonesty.
 Hacking
 Hacking means illegally accessing other people's
computer systems for destroying, disrupting or carrying
out illegal activities on the network or computer systems.

 Hacking is morally bad if it is intended to steal private

information or destroy a computer system.

 Hacking to simply test the security of a computer system

and find ways to strengthen it is not bad.

 Hackers typically break into computer by connecting to it

and then logging in as a legitimate user

 Hacker, or cracker, is someone who

tries to access a computer
or network illegally
 File Privacy
• Any computer document produced
either by an individual in his private
home or in his office should remain
private.

• No one has should open any

document unless authorized by the
individual who created the file
himself.

Moral problems when using the internet

• Unauthorized use of computers and networks

• Software theft
• Information accuracy
• Codes of conduct
• Information privacy
• Intellectual property rights:- rights to which
creators are entitled for their work
 Unauthorized Access and Use

• What is unauthorized access and how is it

achieved?

• Use of a computer or network without

permission

• Hackers typically break into computer by

connecting to it and then logging in as a
legitimate user

• Hacker, or cracker, is someone who

tries to access a computer
or network illegally
 How can companies protect against hackers?

• Intrusion detection software analyzes

network traffic, assesses system
vulnerabilities, and identifies intrusions
and suspicious behavior

• Access control defines who can access

computer and what actions they can take

• Audit trail records access attempts

 Hardware Theft and Vandalism

• What are hardware theft and hardware

vandalism?

 Hardware theft is act of stealing computer

equipment
 Cables sometimes used to lock equipment
 Some notebook computers use passwords,
possessed objects, and biometrics as security
methods
 For PDAs, you can password-protect the device

 Hardware vandalism is act of defacing or

destroying computer equipment
 Software Theft

• What is software theft?

• Act of stealing or illegally copying

software or intentionally erasing
programs

• Software piracy is illegal duplication

of copyrighted software
 Software theft Cont;
• What is a license agreement?

 Right to use software

 Single-user license agreement allows user

to install software on one computer,
make backup copy, and sell software
after removing from computer
 Software theft cont;
• What are some other safeguards against
software theft?

• Product activation allows user to input

product identification number online or by
phone and receive unique installation
identification number

• Business Software Alliance (BSA)

promotes better understanding of software
piracy problems
 Information Theft

• What is encryption?
 Safeguards against information theft

 Process of converting plaintext (readable

data) into ciphertext (unreadable
characters)

 Encryption key (formula) often uses more

than one method

 To read the data, the recipient must

decrypt, or decipher, the data
 IT Code of Conduct

• What is an IT code of conduct?

• Written guideline that helps determine whether
computer action is ethical
• Employers can distribute to employees
• IT CODE OF CONDUCT
 Information Privacy

• What is information privacy?

• Right of individuals and companies to restrict
collection and use of information about them

• Difficult to maintain today because data is stored online

• Employee monitoring is using computers to observe

employee computer use

• Legal for employers to use monitoring software

programs
What are some ways to safeguard personal information?

• Fill in necessary information on rebate,

warranty, and registration forms
• Install a cookie manager to filter cookies
• Sign up for e-mail filtering through your
Internet service provider or use an anti-
spam program, such as Bright mail
• Clear your history file when you are finished
browsing
• Do not reply to spam for any reason
• Turn off file and print sharing on your
Internet connection
 Information Privacy Conti;What is an electronic profile?

 Data collected when you fill out form on

Web

 Merchants sell your electronic profile

 Often you can specify whether you want

personal information distributed
 Information privacy Cont;

• What is a cookie?
User preferences
• Small file on your computer that contains
data about you
• Some Web sites sell or trade information
stored in your cookies
• Set browser to accept cookies, prompt you
to accept cookies, or disable cookies
• How regularly you visit Web sites
• Interests and browsing habits
 How do cookies work?

• Step 1. When you type Web address of Web site in

your browser window, browser program searches
your hard disk for a cookie associated with Web
site.
• Step 2. If browser finds a cookie, it sends
information in cookie file to Web site.
• Step 3. If Web site does not receive cookie
information, and is expecting it, Web site creates an
identification number for you in its database and
sends that number to your browser. Browser in turn
creates a cookie file based on that number and
stores cookie file on your hard disk. Web site now
can update information in cookie files whenever you
access the site
 Information privacy Cont;

• What is a cookie manager?

• Software program that selectively
blocks cookies
 Information privacy Conti;
• Limit the amount of information you
provide to Web sites; fill in only required
information
• Inform merchants that you do not want
them to distribute your personal
information
• Install a personal firewall
• Set up a free e-mail account; use this e-
mail address for merchant forms
Information Privacy Cont;
• Spam is unsolicited e-mail
message sent to many recipients

• Spyware is program placed on

computer without user’s
knowledge
 How can you control spam?

1. E-mail filtering
• Service that blocks e-mail messages from
designated sources
• Collects spam in central location that you can view
any time
2. Anti-spam program
• Attempts to remove spam
• Sometimes removes valid e-mail messages
 Definition of Pornography
• Pornography is the portrayal of explicit sexual subject
matter for the purposes of sexual excitement and erotic
satisfaction.

• Porn can be found in a huge variety of ways. It can be

found through books, magazines, Internet and even in
video games (ex. Grand Theft Auto 3), sculptures and
even in paintings.

• In pornography the movie actors are called porn-stars

and picture models are called porn-models. Pornography
is often censored because of its obscene content

• Or can be defined as Writings, pictures, films, etc

designed to stimulate sexual excitement
 Types of pornography
•Soft-core and hardcore
•This types have also some sub-categories or sub-genres:
the category of participants, such as:

•Amateur pornography : not professional

•Fetish pornography : sexual arousal a person receives from an object.

•Sexual-orientation-based pornography (heterosexual pornography; gay pornography;

lesbian pornography; bisexual pornography)

•Orgy pornography

•Race-oriented pornography (e.g. Asian, black, Latino, interracial)

•
•Reality pornography : documentary style

•Soft pornography

•Voyeurism, involving, for example, use of hidden camera or "upskirt" photography.

 Censorship

• Censorship is the supervision and control of

information and ideas that are circulated among the
people in the society.
• In modern times, censorship is referred to as the
examination of books, periodicals, plays, films
television and radio programs, news reports and
other communication media for the purpose of
altering or suppressing part thought to be
objectionable or offensive
Censorship

• Censorship is an effort by a government,

private organization, group, or individual to
prevent people from reading, seeing, or
hearing what may be considered as dangerous
to government or harmful to public morality.
• Censorship may be exercised on political,
religious, or moral grounds, making the
offense one of
treason, heresy, or obscenity.
• At different times censorship has been
undertaken by the state, by
the priesthood, and by unofficial groups.
 Who imposes Censorship?
• Rules of Government

• Leaders of democracy

• Parents

• Military Officials
 Needs of Censorship

• Protect against pornography and violence

• Limits certain materials for religious and cultural

reasons

• To avoid viruses and spam messages

• Some uneducated people may not know complex

ideas in politics

• Avoid in reaching to pornography to children

• Stop illegal materials in internet

 Types of Censorships
• Educational Censorships
• Moral Censorships
• Military Censorships
• Political Censorships
• Religious Censorships
• Corporate Censorships
 Internet Content &
Free Speech Issues Free Speech
• Information on internet includes hate, violence, and
information that is harmful for children
– How much of this should be regulated?
– Do filters solve problems or create more?

• Is web site information used for course work and research

reliable?
 Traditional ethical theories
•Utilitarianism is a theory of morality that advocates
actions that foster happiness or pleasure and oppose
actions that cause unhappiness or harm. ... Utilitarianism
would say that an action is right if it results in the happiness
of the greatest number of people in a society or a group.
•Like other forms of consequentialism, its core idea is that
whether actions are morally right or wrong depends on
their effects. More specifically, the only effects of actions
that are relevant are the good and bad results that they
produce.
 Principles of Utilitarianism
Pleasure or Happiness Is the Only Thing That Truly
Has Intrinsic Value.

Actions Are Right In so far as They Promote

Happiness, Wrong Insofar as They Produce
Unhappiness.

Everyone's Happiness Counts Equally.

 Deontology theory
• Deontology is a theory that suggests actions are
good or bad according to a clear set of rules.

•Its name comes from the Greek word deon, meaning

duty. Actions that obey these rules are ethical, while
actions that do not, are not. This ethical theory is
most closely associated with German philosopher,
Immanuel Kan
 Rights theory
• Rights theory holds that any individual or business
purposes should not subject other humans to any
form of mistreatment.

•The principle of right theory, developed by Immanuel

Kant in "Theory and Practice" and "Metaphysics of
Morals," proposes that individuals in a society should
have access to the maximum amount of freedom
possible, withholding the freedom to infringe on any
other individual's freedom