the use of ict and its ethical implications

8/7/2019 THE USE OF ICT AND ITS ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS

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THE USE OF ICT AND ITS ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS

1.0 Introduction

As we stand on the verge of the information age, the social and ethical

implications of information and communication technology (ICT) are enormous

and mostly unknown. ICT is developing so rapidly that new possibilities emerge

before the social consequences can be fathomed (Rogerson & Bynum 1995).

New social or ethical policies for the information age are urgently needed to fill

rapidly multiplying policy vacuums (Moor 1985). But filling such vacuums is a

complex social process that will require active participation of individuals,

organizations, and governments and ultimately the world community (Bynum &Schubert, 1998).

Ethics govern the internet in terms of how it should be used and the acceptable

and appropriate behaviour especially related to the use of the emails and

chatting. The difference between wrong and right is purely determined by the

individual that is using the Information communication technology (ICT) as ones

values and beliefs are different from another persons. However the net does

have certain rules in place known as netiquettes which ethically everyone should

follow. However a breach of these rules does have ethical implications

(Chauhan, 2000).

2.0 The Netiquettes

Some of the most common netiquettes are; do not spam or send junk email to

people, refrain from sending hate e-mails, be vary of viruses, hoax and chain

letters, and follow acceptable standards of politeness as used in all kinds of

communication. There are also issues of intellectual property rights such as

plagiarism, fair use, software piracy and file swapping. Issues also arise in terms

of the right of an individual. These include freedom of speech, personal privacy


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and records confidentiality, and censorship. Finally there are computer facilitated

crimes such a hacking, viruses and destructive software, denial of service and

other attacks, internet fraud, spamming, flaming, and pornography (Chauhan,

2000).

ICT had affected our lives in both good and bad ways such as education, family

life, relationships, careers, community life, freedom and democracy. For human

beings to truly flourish they have to engage in actions that maximise their full

potential as intelligent, decision making beings in charge of their own lives

(Weiner, 1954). Weiner believed that humans are social beings who can reach

their full potential only by being part of similar beings. There are three main

principals that should be followed; principal of freedom, principal of equity and

principal of benevolence. Any person who functions successfully in a society is

likely to be familiarwith likely to be familiarwith the existing customs, practices,

rules and laws that govern a persons behaviour in the society and understand

which behaviour is acceptable as ethical.

3.0 The Dilemmas

3.1Will ICT push you out of your job?

People who have to cope with the introduction of new information technology

should engage in ICT ethics by helping integrate new information technology into

society in an ethical and acceptable way. However Walter (1976) concluded that

ethics became more complicated and got significantly altered since computers

got introduced in to society. However she argued that computers did not create

ethically unique problems rather transformed old ethical problems in interesting

and ethical ways. The very first concern that arose from the introduction of the

net was the fact that it posed a threat on jobs. These days the through the use of

computers and the World Wide Web, people are able to perform almost any task.

Although these technologies need repair, they dont require sleep or get tired,


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they dont need to take time off work, and go home to relax. Hence these

technologies are more efficient than human in performing tasks.

The economic incentive to replace human with computers to conduct day to day

business is very high. In the industry sector many workers have already been

replaced by computerized devices such as bank tellers, auto workers, telephone

operators, security guards, graphic artists, typists and assembly line workers.

Even professional like lawyers, teachers, accountants, and psychologists are

finding that by using computer technologies they can perform their traditional

duties quite effectively. In the short run, computer generated unemployment will

be an important social problem but in the long run information technology will

create many more jobs than it will eliminate.

3.2 De-skilling of workers

Work and the workplace are being dramatically transformed by ICT. More

flexibility and choice are possible (e.g., working from home, on the road, at any

hour or location). In addition, new kinds of jobs and job opportunities are being

created (e.g., webmasters, data miners, cyber-counsellors, and so on). But such

benefits and opportunities are accompanied by risks and problems, likeunemployment from computer-replaced humans, deskilling of workers who only

push buttons, stress keeping up with high speed machines, repetitive motion

injuries, magnetism and radiation from computer hardware, surveillance of

workers by monitoring software, and ICT sweat shops that pay slave wages. A

wide range of new laws, regulations, rules and practices are needed if society is

to manage these workplace developments efficiently and justly.

3.3 Computer Security

The second issue is to do with privacy and confidentiality. Computer security is a

big concern as viruses and hackers from thousands of miles away can easily

access personal information. The ease and efficiency in which computer

networks can be used to gather, store, search, compare, retrieve and share


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personal information makes information technology threatening to anyone who

wishes to keep various kinds of sensitive information out of the public domain or

out of the hands of those who are perceived as potential threats. The rise of the

world wide web, commercialization and rapid growth of the internet, increasing

user friendliness and processing power of computers, and decreasing costs of

computer technology have led to new privacy issues such as data mining, data

matching, recoding of click trails on the web and so on (Tavani, 1999). Just like

privacy, anonymity can also be exploited to facilitate unwanted and undesirable

computer aided activities in cyber space such as money laundering, drug trading,

terrorism, or preying upon the venerable (do you mean Vulnerable??). The

worldwide nature of the Internet has already led to many issues in need of

policies to resolve them. For example, when sexually explicit materials are

provided on a web site in a culture in which they are permitted, and then they are

accessed by someone in a different culture where such materials are outlawed

as obscene.

3.4 Professional Responsibilities

The third ethical issue arises over professional responsibilities. Computer

professionals have specialized knowledge and often have positions with authorityand respect in the community. Therefore they are able to have a significant

impact upon the world including many of the things that people value. Along with

the power to change, comes the duty to exercise that power and responsibility

(Gotterbarn, 2001). There can be a variety of professional relationships such as

employer to employee, client to professional, professional to professional, and

society to professional ( Johnson, 1994). These relationships involve a diversity

of interests and sometimes these interests can conflict with each other. The ones

that are responsible will be aware of possible conflicts of interest and try to avoid

them.

3.5 Globalisation


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The fourth and final issue is globalization. Information technology ethics is rapidly

evolving into a broader and even more important field which might reasonably be

called global information ethics. Global networks such as the internet and the

World Wide Web are connecting people all over the earth. There have been

numerous efforts to advance and defend human values in a truly global context.

Ethics and values in the information era for the first time are not limited to a

particular geographic region, or constrained by a specific religion or culture.

Globalization has pointed out that ICT makes possible for the first time in history

a genuinely global conversation about ethics and human values. Such a

conversation has implications for social policy that we can only begin to imagine

(Gorniak, 1995). Traditional borders and barriers between countries have now

become less meaningful because most countries are interconnected by the

Internet. For this reason, individuals, companies and organizations in every

culture can engage in global business transactions, distance education, cyber-

employment, discussions of social and political issues, sharing and debating of

values and perspectives. There are four main points surrounding issue of

globalization; global laws, global cyber business, global education, and

information rich and poor.

3.5.1

Nearly two hundred countries are already interconnected by the internet so the

United States Constitution is just a local law on the internet, and does not apply

to the rest of the world. So for example if computer users in the United States

wish to protect their freedom of speech on the internet, only the local law applies.

It is extremely hard to govern issues like freedom of speech, control of

pornography, protection of intellectual property, and invasions of privacy when

there are so many countries involved.


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3.5.2

The world is very close to having technology that can provide electronic privacy

and security on the internet sufficient to safely conduct international business

transactions. Once this technology is in place there will be rapid expansion of

global cyber business. Nations with a technological infrastructure already in place

will enjoy rapid economic growth while the rest of the world will lag behind. This

could possibly lead to a few wealthy nations widening the already big gap

between rich and poor and political and even military confrontations. It could also

mean that well accepted business practices in one part of the world be perceived

as cheating or fraud in other parts of the world. When transactions occur in

cyberspace different laws apply to business on the Internet. When people in one

country purchase goods and services from merchants in another country it isvery hard to regulate or tax the transactions.

3.5.3

If inexpensive access to the global information net is provided to rich and poor

alike to poverty-stricken people in ghettos, to poor nations in the third world then

global education can improve. Nearly everyone on earth will have access to daily

news from a free press; to texts, documents and art works from great libraries

and museums of the world; to political, religious and social practices of peoples

everywhere. This could have a big impact upon political dictatorships, isolated

communities, coherent cultures, and religious practices. More universities will

begin to offer degrees and knowledge modules via the internet. However when

hundreds of universities and colleges worldwide start to offer educational credit

for courses and modules, students will be able to earn university credits from all

around the globe but there will be problems with setting the standards.

3.5.4 Inequalities

At the social or political level of education there will be an impact upon previously

uneducated people of the world when they suddenly gain access to libraries,

museums, newspapers, and other sources of knowledge. They will not be able to

access to the worlds great newspapers in closed societies with no free press.


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The internet could either foster global democracy or become a tool for control

and manipulation of the masses by a handful of powerful government or powerful

cooperations. The gap between rich and poor nations, and even between rich

and poor citizens in industrialized countries, is already disturbingly wide. As

educational opportunities, business and employment opportunities, medical

services and many other necessities of life move more and more into

cyberspace, these gaps between the rich and the poor will become even worse.

3.6 Relationships

There are ethical and social issues arising from human relationships.

Family relationships or friendships can be affected by mobile phones, palmtop

and laptop computers, telecommuting to work and school, virtual-reality

conferencing, and cybersex. The efficiency and convenience of ICT can lead to

shorter work hours and more quality time with the family or ICT can create

instead a more hectic and breathless lifestyle which separates family and friends

from each other. People can be isolated in front of a computer hour after hour or

they can find new friendships and relationships in virtual communities in

cyberspace. These relationships are based upon interactions that never could

occur in regular space-time settings. But there is an issue with how fulfilling andgenuine these relationships will be and will they crowd out better, more satisfying

face-to-face relationships.

3.7 What category??

As more and more of societys activities and opportunities enter cyberspace

business opportunities, educational opportunities, medical services, employment,

leisure-time activities will become harder and harder. People without an

electronic identity may have no socially recognized identity at all! Therefore

social justice requires that society develop policies and practices to more fully

include people who, in the past, have had limited access to ICT resources;

women, the poor, the old, persons of colour, rural residents, persons with

disabilities, and even technophobes. For example, assistive technology for


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people with disabilities. A variety of hardware and software has been developed

in recent years to enable people with disabilities to use ICT easily and effectively.

As a result, people who would otherwise be utterly dependent upon others for

almost everything suddenly find their lives transformed into happy, productive,

near-normal ones. Visual impairments and blindness, hearing impairments and

deafness, inability to control ones limbs, even near-total paralysis are no longer

be major impediments to happiness and productivity.

3.8 Democracy

ICT also has the potential to significantly change the relationship between

individual citizens and governments, local, regional and national. Electronic

voting and referenda, as well as e-mailed messages to legislators and ministers,

could give citizens more timely input into government decisions and law making.

Optimists point out that ICT, if used appropriately, can enable better citizen

participation in democratic processes can make government more open and

accountable. It can provide easy citizen access to government information,

reports, services, plans and proposed legislation. Pessimists, on the other hand,

worry that government officials who are regularly bombarded with e-mail from

angry voters might be easily swayed by short-term swings in public mood thathackers could disrupt or corrupt electronic election processes and that dictatorial

governments might find ways the use ICT to control and intimidate the population

more effectively than ever before. What

3.9 Piracy

In the information age, the information rich (why quotation marks here and not

below?) will run the world, and the information poor will be poor indeed.

Possession and control of information will be the keys to wealth, power and

success. Those who own and control the information infrastructure will be

amongst the wealthiest and most powerful of all. And those who own digitized

intellectual property software, databases, music, video, literary works,

educational resources will possess major economic assets. But digitized


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information is easily copied and altered, easily transferred across borders, and

therefore the piracy of intellectual property will be a major social problem. Even

today, for example, in some countries over ninety percent of the software is

pirated not to mention the music and video resources. It is also possible to mix

and combine several types of digitized resources to create multimedia works of

various kinds. A single program, for example, might make use of bits and

snippets of photographs, video clips, sound bites, graphic art, newsprint and

excerpts from various literary works.

4.0 Future Direction

5.0 Conclusion

These are only a small fraction of the social and ethical issues that ICT will

generate in the coming information age. The vast majority of such issues are still

unknown, and they will only come into view when generated. As with any new

technology, the birth of ICT brought about ethical dilemmas that were discussed

above. However as humans we must sensibly weigh out the technologys

benefits against its possible harms and devise actions that mitigate risks so that

we can successfully use ICT for our welfare. when the powerful and flexible newtechnology of ICT generates them. It is the goal of computer ethics to identify and

analyze the policy vacuums and help to formulate new social/ ethical policies to

resolve them.


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6.0 References

Terrell Ward Bynum and Simon Rogerson, eds., Global Information Ethics,Opragon Press, 1996 (published as the April 1996 issue of Science andEngineering Ethics).

Terrell Ward Bynum and Petra Schubert, How to Do Computer Ethics A Case

Study: The Electronic Mall Bodensee in M. J. van den Hoven, ed., ComputerEthics Philosophical Enquiry, Erasmus University Press, 1998, pp. 85 95.

Krystyna Grniak, The Computer Revolution and the Problem of Global Ethicsin Bynum and Rogerson, 1996, pp. 177 190.

James H. Moor, What Is Computer Ethics? in Terrell Ward Bynum, ed.,Computers and Ethics, Blackwell, 1985, pp. 266 75 (published as the October1985 issue of the journal Metaphilosophy).

Simon Rogerson and Terrell Ward Bynum, Cyberspace: the Ethical Frontier in

The Higher Education Supplement to the London Times, June 9, 1995.

M. J. van den Hoven, Computer Ethics and Moral Methodology in PorfirioBarroso, Simon Rogerson and Terrell Ward Bynum, Eds., Values and SocialResponsibilities of Computer Science, Proceedings of ETHICOMP96,Complutense University Press, 1996, pp. 444 453. (Republished inMetaphilosophy, July 1997, Vol. 28, No. 3)

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