Computer Ethics Analysis Essay Example

right and wrong actions. This emphasis on character evaluation can be seen in demonology and utilitarianism. It is important to note that this approach differs from Social Contract ethics which places importance on the social context.

While the concern for virtue is present in different philosophical traditions, its roots in the Western tradition can be attributed to Plato and Aristotle. These fundamental concepts are still influenced by ancient information ethics established by Lucian Floridi. The term computer ethics was coined by Dr. Walter Maner, a professor at Boston University. Since the 1970s, this field has been progressively integrated into academic professional development programs.

History[edit] The idea of computer ethics was first introduced in 1950 by Norte Wiener, an MIT professor who invented the information feedback system "cybernetics." In his book "The Human Use of Human Beings," Wiener established the fundamental principles of computer ethics, earning him the title of the father of computer ethics. Another MIT professor named Joseph Whizz-bang further advanced this field in 1966 with his program ELISE, which utilized natural language processing.

The program functioned as a psychotherapist, using open-ended questions to prompt patients and employing pattern matching rules to determine its responses. During the same time period, a programmer committed what is believed to be the first incident of computer crime. This individual manipulated a section of code in order to avoid his bank account being flagged for overdrawing [citation needed]. Nevertheless, because there were no laws in place at that time prohibiting such actions, he escaped any legal consequences.

The purpose of a computer-specific ethics code arose to prevent the replication of unethical actions in the field. Don Parker, an

author on computer crimes at SIR International, was instrumental in establishing the initial code of ethics for computer technology during the sass decade. Furthermore, Walter Manner, a medical teacher and researcher, noted that ethical decision-making becomes more intricate when computers are implicated. This realization led to the formation of a distinct branch of ethics known as "Computer ethics." [citation needed]

During the mid-1970s, the ACM (Association of Computing Machinery) introduced a professional code of ethics. This occurred at the same time as the establishment of privacy and computer crime legislation in the United States and Europe. Moreover, Joseph Whizz-bang's 1976 publication "Computer Power and Human Reason" had a profound impact on computer ethics. The book explores the advantages of artificial intelligence while cautioning against relying on it for critical decisions due to its lack of human qualities like wisdom.

The main idea emphasized in the book is the differentiation between choosing and deciding, with the author asserting that deciding is a computational process, whereas making choices is distinctive to humans. Later that year, Babe Monstrosity, a Computer Science professor at the City College of New York, published an article named "On approaches to the study of social issues in computing." This article scrutinized both technical and non-technical prejudices prevalent in social-issue research within the computing field.

In 1978, the government's ability to search bank records was significantly restricted with the adoption of the Right to Federal Privacy Act. In the same year, Terrible Ward Benumb, a professor of Philosophy at Southern Connecticut State University and Director of the Research Center on Computing and Society there, created the first curriculum for a university course on computer

ethics. He required students to write about computer ethics as the course topic. In 1985, he gained recognition for his publication "Computers and Ethics", which remains his most famous work.

The text below has beenand unified:

In 1984, the Small Business Computer Security and Education act was enacted to inform Congress about computer crimes against small businesses. James Moor, a philosophy professor at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, published an essay titled "What is Computer Ethics" in 1985. In this essay, Moor discusses the components of computer ethics, which include identifying policy gaps caused by computers, clarifying conceptual confusion, formulating policies for computer technology usage, and providing ethical justification for these policies.

During the same year, Professor Deborah Johnson at the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences published the first significant computer ethics textbook. This textbook not only became the standard-setting resource for computer ethics but also established the research agenda for the following decade. In 1988, Robert Huffman, a librarian at St. Cloud University, coined the term "information ethics" to describe the handling of information in terms of storage, production, access, and dissemination.

Around the same time, the Computer Matching and Privacy Act was implemented, which limited government programs to identify debtors. This period coincided with the peak of computer technology, and the integration of computers with telecommunication, the internet, and other media raised numerous ethical concerns. In 1992, ACM introduced a new set of ethical guidelines known as the "ACM code of Ethics and Professional Conduct," comprising of 24 statements emphasizing personal responsibility. Three years later, in 1995, Gordian Cassocks, a...

Professor of Philosophy at Southern Connecticut State University and

Coordinator of the Religious Studies Program, Cassock proposed that computer ethics will eventually become a worldwide ethical system. He further predicted that computer ethics would completely replace traditional ethics in the information age. In 1999, Deborah Johnson expressed a different perspective, arguing that computer ethics will not change significantly but instead be a variation of our existing ethical principles.

Internet Privacy is a significant concern that has arisen with the growth of the World Wide Web. Many internet users share personal information online when signing up for various services, often without realizing the extent of their exposure. Additionally, governments, large corporations, companies, and small businesses may also leave personal information of their clients, citizens, or individuals in general, exposed on the internet.

Google Streetwise has had a profound effect on online photography mapping of urban areas, such as residences. It not only assists individuals in finding locations but also exposes internet users to limited views of suburbs, military bases, accidents, and inappropriate content. The ensuing debate surrounding these concerns has been ongoing since 2011. For more information on this topic, please visit the website of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Google's privacy concerns primarily pertain to search tracking, which involves monitoring searches in order to customize ads based on individual search criteria. This essentially turns individuals into commodities unless they choose to pay for the service. The importance of privacy is currently being debated due to the widespread use of social networking platforms where people willingly share their private information with the public.

At first glance, it may seem like individuals willingly share personal information on social networking sites. But in truth, it is

the site that can potentially reveal this information. This idea relates to the difference between Opt-Len and Opt-out policies, which are commonly discussed in privacy statements. Typically, an Opt-Len policy mandates individuals to notify the company if they don't want their information shared.

Opting out refers to the action of individuals instructing a company not to share their information. [4] Internet Privacy is a prominent topic in Computer Ethics, with the ever-expanding internet attracting a growing number of users worldwide. People now widely embrace the internet as a platform for accessing information, news, social networks, and personal entertainment. For further discussion on Internet Privacy and Internet Control, see also: Internet Privacy Internet Control[edit].

With the demographic of Internet users reflecting society as a whole, it is crucial to explore the connection between higher-order consumer behavior constructs and Internet usage to gain a better understanding of consumer behavior online. As businesses and corporations become more aware of this, the notion of internet control becomes a topic of consideration. However, "internet control" encompasses both censorship and surveillance and is a broad and inclusive term.

The increasing popularity of the internet and the transfer of power struggles onto this platform have made the issue of internet control more important. This raises concerns about violations of both freedom of expression and privacy rights. Independent users, businesses, search engines, and other information sources are unintentionally manipulating, biasing, and censoring their information on the internet.

This enables public access to particular issues or events that can be altered, potentially influencing opinion in alarming manners. Several concrete instances exist, like companies attempting to influence public perception through online manipulation.

Likewise, companies can embed covert code within their proprietary software, scanning the computer for installed programs and other files.

This practice resembles unethical fleet management techniques. It entails a service-oriented company taking advantage of various rented devices installed at customers' premises. The company gathers information about the installed devices, including their usage status and current condition. [7] Additionally, controlling the internet also involves manipulating news delivery methods.

The internet empowers news organizations to manipulate public perception by presenting curated information, potentially influencing opinions in alarming ways. Rapid global dissemination of international news often occurs without thorough verification, further exacerbating the potential for "internet control" to shape public understanding of various topics and ideas. This concern is prevalent worldwide.

In China, the development of technology and social transformation create the necessary conditions. Online communities and offline civic associations make up a young civil society. The logic of social production in the internet economy and the creativity of Chinese internet visionaries help support online activism despite increasing political control over the internet in China. [8] Additionally, the topic of internet control continues to expand, with indications that information, spam, and censorship have shifted from traditional mediums like paper and television to the internet and computers.

With the increasing number of people accessing the internet, power struggles are transferring onto the web. These struggles are focused on control, user dominance, bias, and censorship [9] [10]. In computer networking, reliability is important for data delivery. A reliable protocol ensures that data is delivered to the intended recipient(s) and provides notifications to the sender regarding the delivery of transmitted data, unlike an unreliable protocol [11].

A dependable multicast protocol provides

individual reliability to each recipient and also offers features that synchronize data delivery to multiple recipients, including total order, atomicity, or virtual synchrony. Reliable protocols typically have greater overhead than unreliable protocols, resulting in slower performance and limited scalability. Although this is generally not an issue for regular protocols, it can pose problems for multicast protocols. TCP, the predominant Internet protocol, serves as an illustration of a reliable protocol.

The unreliable User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is frequently utilized in computer games or other scenarios that prioritize speed over preserving all data, as the data being transmitted is temporary. Some reliable protocols, like the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), are both connection-oriented and utilize a virtual circuit ID comprising source and destination IP addresses and port numbers. Additionally, certain unreliable protocols, such as ATM and Frame Relay, through which a significant portion of internet traffic is transferred, also have a connection-oriented nature.

In the realm of Computer Ethics, identifying and resolving ethical issues has traditionally been a challenging task. Michael Davis proposed an innovative problem-solving method that involves several steps: defining the ethical problem, confirming facts, compiling a list of options considering pertinent factors, and implementing action guided by specific ethical standards.

Ethics involves evaluating acts as "good" or "bad". Each society has its own rules regarding the ethics of certain acts, which are then transformed into laws. When computers were initially introduced into society, the lack of ethical standards surrounding their use caused difficulties. However, as computer usage became prevalent in all aspects of life, discussions on computer ethics led to a general consensus. Consequently, many of these principles have now been established as laws

at either the national or international level.

Computer crimes and computer fraud have become widespread and are subject to legal regulations. It is essential for everyone to understand the definition of these offenses. The Computer Ethics Institute has established the Ten Commandments of computer ethics. Below is our interpretation of the first commandment: Thou shall not use a computer to cause harm to others. Engaging in unethical activities such as creating a bomb or writing a program that controls its timing is equally reprehensible.

In simpler terms, accessing and destroying digital files is equivalent to stealing and destroying physical books and notebooks. Computer viruses are small programs that disrupt computer work by destroying files, consuming significant amounts of computer resources, or displaying annoying messages. Creating and intentionally spreading computer viruses is unethical. Snooping through others' files, including reading their emails, is invasion of privacy similar to opening and reading their physical letters. Obtaining non-public files without permission should be considered breaching security and stealing information. Text documents on the internet may have encryption for protection. Lastly, hacking into company or bank accounts using a computer to steal money should be treated as a form of robbery.

It is illegal and strictly prohibited to spread false information, also known as bearing false witness, on the Internet. This includes sharing untrue rumors about individuals or spreading false propaganda about historical events. Moreover, using software without payment or permission is against the law. Obtaining unauthorized copies of copyrighted software is ethically equivalent to photocopying a copyrighted book since software is an intellectual product.

There are laws against both. Pictures in the digital format can have information about the

copyright owner embedded using a process called watermarking. 7) Unauthorized use of other people's computer resources is prohibited. Memory and time allocations on multiuse systems are enforced using user id's and passwords to safeguard information. Trying to bypass this authorization system is unethical and considered hacking. ) Copying someone else's program without proper authorization is software piracy and is unethical as it appropriates their intellectual output. Intellectual property, which includes programs written for assigned projects, may be protected by copyright laws. 9) It is important to consider the social consequences of the programs you write. Computer issues should be approached from a broader social perspective. Can the program you write be used in a way that harms society?