2. BASIC CONCEPTS ETHICS: Principles of right and wrong that can be used by individuals acting as free moral agents to to make choices to guide their behavior. RESPONSIBILITY: Accepting the potential costs, duties and obligations for the decisions one makes. ACCOUNTABILITY: Assessing responsibility for the decisions made and actions taken. LIABILITY: Recovering damages done by others DUE PROCESS: The legal procedure; ability to appeal to higher authorities to ensure that laws are applied correctly.
3. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES 1. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 2. KANT’S Categorical Imperative: If an action is not right for everyone, then it is not right for anyone. 3. DESCARTES Rule of Change: If an action can not be done repeatedly then it is not right to be taken. 4. Utilitarian Principle: Maximize utility or value 5. Risk Aversion Principle: Least harm or cost 6. Ethical “No Free Lunch” Rule: Somebody owns it.
4. ETHICAL ANALYSIS 1. Identify and describe cleanly the facts 2. Define the conflict or dilemma and identify the higher order values involved. 3. Identify the stakeholders 4. Identify the options that you can reasonably take 5. Identify the potential consequences of your options
5. ACM’s Code of Professional Conduct 1. Contribute to society and human well-being 2. Avoid harm to others 3. Be honest and trustworthy 4. Honor property rights 5. Give proper credit for intellectual property 6. Access computing resources only when authorized 7. Respect the privacy of others
6. MORAL DIMENSIONS OF THE INFORMATION AGE 1. information rights: The rights that individuals and organizations have with respect to information which pertains to themselves -- Additionally Privacy 2. Property rights 3. Accountability liability and control 4. System quality, Data Quality and System errors 5. Quality of life, Access and Boundaries
7. FAIR INFORMATION PRACTICES Principles governing the collection and use of information about individuals (set in 1973 ): 1. There should be no personal record system whose existence is secret 2. Individuals have rights of access, review, inspection and amendment to systems that contain information about them 3. There must be no use of personal inf. for purposes those for which it was gathered without prior consent 4. Managers of systems are responsible and can be held accountable, and liable for the damages 5. Government has the right to intervene
8. PROPORTY RIGHTS INTELLECTUAL PROP. Intellectual property: Intangible property protected under trade secrets, copyrights, and patents Trade secrets: Any intellectual work or product used for business purpose (not in the public domain) Copyright: Protects the creators of intellectual property against copying by others for any purpose for 28 years Patent: A legal document that grants the owner an exclusive monopoly on the idea behind an invention for 17 years
9. QUALITY OF LIFE, EQUITY, ACCESS 1. Balancing power center versus periphery 2. Dependence and vulnerability 3. Computer crime and abuse 4. Equity and access 5. Health risks: Repetitive stress injury Carpal tunnel syndrome, Computer vision Syndrome, Technostress - Aggression and Hostility due to working with only machines 7. Employment, job loss