COMPUTER ETHICS
Computer Ethics
What is ethical behavior?
 How do we make ethical decisions?
 Matherial from Ethical Decision Making
and Information Technology by Kallman &
Grillo

Ethical Decisions
Ethical decisions are made based on ethical
princilples.
 Ethical principles are ideas of behavior that
are commonly acceptable to society.

Why Should We Care About
Ethics?
We make a number of ethical decisions
daily.
 Some unethical decisions can put us on the
wrong side of the law.
 Decisions can affect our career and
reputation.
 Obliged to uphold the principles of the
society in which we live.

Computer Ethics
Most experts agree that there is no special
category of computer ethics.
 There are ethical situations in which
computers are involved.
 Capability of computers can lend a special
character to the problem.
 Computer allows people to perform actions
faster or to perform actions too difficult

Three Phases of Ethical Decision
Making
Recognize the ethical problem exists.
 Attack the problem logically and consider
alternative actions.
 Make decision on action to take based on
ethical principles.

What Affects Our Behavior?
Drive for food, shelter and love - Biological
Level
 Rules from government, religion, institution
and the family - Societal Level
 Ethical considerations - Higher Level

How Do We Make an Ethical
Decision?
Research the law
 Use guidelines
 Person’s rights
 Person’s duty

Use Guidelines
Informal guidelines
 Formal guidelines

Informal Guidelines
Are “Shushers” involved?
 The “Mom Test”
 The “TV Test”
 The “Smell TEST”

Formal Guidelines
Corporate policy
 Corporate or professional codes
 Golden rule

ACM Code of Ethics and
Professional Conduct
Contribute to the improvement of society
and to the well-being of human lives
 Take care not to harm others
 Speak the truth and merit trust
 Treat others with fairness
 Honor the intellectual property rights of
others

ACM Code Cont.
Give proper credit when using the
intellectual property of others
 Respect the right of privacy of individuals
 Honor confidentiality

Ten Commandments of
Computing - Computer Ethics
Institute
Thou shall not use a computer to harm other
people
 Thou shall not interfere with other people’s
computer work
 Thou shall not snoop around in other
people’s computer files
 Thou shall not use a computer to steal
 Thou shall not use a computer to bear false
witness

Ten Commandments - Continued
Thou shall not copy or use proprietary
software for which you have not paid
 Thou shall not use other people’s computer
resources without authorization and proper
compensation
 Thou shall not appropriate other people’s
intellectual output
 Thou shall think about the social
consequences of the program you are

Person’s Rights
The right to know
 The right to privacy
 The right to property

Person’s Duty
To foster trust
 To act with integrity
 To be truthful
 To do justice
 To act with appropriate gratitude
 Make appropriate reparation

What Special Ethical Problems
Involve Computers
Computers cause personal contact to be
reduced
 Little time is available in making a decision
 Electronic information is easily changed
 Information more vunerable to unauthorized
access
 Easy access to information

Special Ethical Problems Cont.
An error in a program could be devastating
 Software piracy

–
–
–

Public Domain Software
Shareware
Copyrighted Software
Pornography
–
–
Internet has no single authority
Filtering Software such as Cyber Patrol
A 4-Step Process for Ethical
Analysis and Decision Making
Understand the situation - what are the
ethical issues?
 Isolate the major ethical dilemma.

–
State it in the form: Should someone do or not
do something?
Analyze the ethicality of doing or not doing
the action.
 Make a Defensible Ethical DecisioN
