COMPUTER ETHICS AND
SOCIETY
LECTURER
HENRY O.QUARSHIE
Basic Concepts and Historical Overview
• Computer ethics is a new branch of ethics that is
growing and changing rapidly as computer
technology also grows and develops. The term
"computer ethics" is open to interpretations both
broad and narrow. On the one hand, for
example, computer ethics might be understood
very narrowly as the efforts of professional
philosophers to apply traditional ethical theories
like utilitarianism, Kantianism, or virtue ethics to
issues regarding the use of computer technology
• On the other hand, it is possible to construe
computer ethics in a very broad way to include,
as well, standards of professional practice,
codes of conduct, aspects of computer law,
public policy, corporate ethics--even certain
topics in the sociology and psychology of
computing.
• In the industrialized nations of the world, the
"information revolution" already has significantly
altered many aspects of life -- in banking and
commerce, work and employment, medical care,
national defense, transportation and
entertainment. Consequently, information
technology has begun to affect (in both good
and bad ways) community life, family life, human
relationships, education, freedom, democracy,
and so on.
• Computer ethics in the broadest sense can be
understood as that branch of applied ethics
which studies and analyzes such social and
ethical impacts of information technology.
• In recent years, this robust new field has led to
new university courses, conferences,
workshops, professional organizations,
curriculum materials, books, articles, journals,
and research centers. And in the age of the
world-wide-web, computer ethics is quickly
being transformed into "global information
ethics".
Definition of Computer ethics
• The name “computer ethics” was not commonly
used until the mid-1970s.when Walter Maner
began to use it. He defined this field of study as
one that examines “ethical problems
aggravated, transformed or created by computer
technology.” Some old ethical problems, he said,
were made worse by computers, while others
came into existence because of computer
technology.
He suggested that we should use traditional ethical
theories of philosophers, such as the utilitarian
ethics of the English philosopher Jeremy
Bentham and John Stuart Mill, or the rationalist
ethics of the German philosopher Immanuel
Kant.
• In her book, Computer Ethics (1985), Deborah
Johnson said that computer ethics studies the
way in which computers “pose new versions of
standard moral problems and moral dilemmas,
exacerbating the old problems, and forcing us to
apply ordinary moral norms in uncharted
realms.”
• In his influential article “What Is Computer
Ethics?” (1985), James Moor provided a
definition of computer ethics that is much
broader and more wide-ranging than those of
Maner or Johnson. It is independent of any
specific philosopher’s theory; and it is
compatible with a wide variety of approaches to
ethical problem-solving.
• Since 1985, Moor’s definition has been the most
influential one. He defined computer ethics as a
field concerned with “policy vacuums” and
“conceptual muddles” regarding the social and
ethical use of information technology:
• Ethics is a set of moral principles that govern the
behavior of a group or individual. Therefore,
computer ethics is set of moral principles that
regulate the use of computers. Some common
issues of computer ethics include intellectual
property rights (such as copyrighted electronic
content), privacy concerns, and how computers
affect society.
All of these thinkers and many others address
problems about computing technology and
human values, seeking to
• Understand the impact of computing technology
upon human values
• Minimize the damage that such technology can
do to human values, and
• Identify ways to use computer technology to
advance human values.
Why Study Computer ethics
• Computer ethics questions can be raised and
studied at various “levels.” And each level is vital
to the overall goal of protecting and advancing
human values. On the most basic level,
computer ethics tries to sensitize people to the
fact that computer technology has social and
ethical consequences.
The prospect of a global village in which everyone
on the planet is connected to everyone else
with regard to computing power and
communication is breathtaking. What is difficult
to comprehend is what impact this will have on
human life. Surely, some of the effects will be
quite positive and others quite negative.
• The question is to what extent we can bring
ethics to bear on the computer revolution in
order to guide us to a better world or at least
prevent us from falling into a worse world.
Aspects of the computer revolution will continue
to spring up in unpredictable ways, in some
cases causing us considerable grief. Therefore,
it is extremely important to be alert to what is
happening.
• Because the computer revolution has the
potential to have major effects on how we lead
our lives, the paramount issue of how we should
control computing and the flow of information
needs to be addressed on an ongoing basis in
order to shape the technology to serve us to our
mutual benefit. We must remain vigilant and
proactive so that we don’t pillage the global
village.
• Although almost everyone would agree that
computing is having a significant, if not a
revolutionary, impact on the world, and that
ethical issues about applications of this surging
technology should be raised, there is
disagreement about the nature of computer
ethics.
• Identifying Policy Vacuums: Moor defines
computer ethics as a field concerned with "policy
vacuums" and "conceptual muddles" regarding
the social and ethical use of information
technology. A typical problem in computer ethics
arises because there is a policy vacuum about
how computer technology should be used.
Computers provide us with new capabilities and
these in turn give us new choices for action.
• Often, either no policies for conduct in these
situations exist or existing policies seem
inadequate. A central task of computer ethics is
to determine what we should do in such cases,
that is, formulate policies to guide our actions.
One difficulty is that along with a policy vacuum
there is often a conceptual vacuum.
• Although a problem in computer ethics may
seem clear initially, a little reflection reveals a
conceptual muddle. What is needed in such
cases is an analysis that provides a coherent
conceptual framework within which to formulate
a policy for action.
• Moor says that computer technology is
genuinely revolutionary because it is "logically
malleable":
Computers are logically malleable in that they can
be shaped and molded to do any activity that
can be characterized in terms of inputs, outputs
and connecting logical operations....Because
logic applies everywhere, the potential
applications of computer technology appear
limitless.
• The computer is the nearest thing we have to a
universal tool. Indeed, the limits of computers
are largely the limits of our own creativity.
• International Ethics in Computing:
In our everyday lives, it is important that we
discuss the ethical issues. What is ethical?
Sociologist Raymond Baumhart replies were the
following:
"Ethics has to do with what my feelings tell me is
right or wrong."
"Ethics has to do with my religious beliefs."
"Being ethical is doing what the law requires."
"Ethics consists of the standards of behavior our
society accepts."
• Today, “computing technology is most powerful
and most flexible technology ever devised. It is
well-known that computing is changing
everything, such as voting, military affairs,
medical care, working, studying, shopping, and
making and communicating with friends.
• . As computers and networks are broadly used,
the confine of computer ethical issues have
become apparent across the whole global
network and computer systems rather than
original a lab where own several computers
• Computer ethics which is generated in
globalization and universal computing must be
“global information ethics”. In other words,
computer ethics should not be isolated in
different regions, it should be international ethics.
Therefore, a new and special field of ethical
issues becomes more important and more
controversial.
• The rapid development of computer networks is
amazing. In 2002, ComScore Media Metrix
company reported that there are 694 million
users in the world wide computer network and
the country with most users is America, the one
with the second highest number of users is
China. Obviously, In many computing ethical
standings America and China have consistent
moral rules.
• Clearly, there are many common computer
ethics between two countries. However, those
inconsistent ethical views in computing cannot
be neglected between two countries with
different social environment. For instance, online
pornography is completely illegal in China.
Beating crime of online pornography is an
important work to government. But in America
there is a legitimate market. Although the market
is of course regulated.
Although different communities have different
cultures and history, computer ethics based on
the similar electric society with computing
technology. The issue about similar in ethics
views in international computing becomes more
important. Firstly, we must ask whether there
exists a uniform basic value of ethics in the
whole human society.
TOPICS IN COMPUTER ETHICS
No matter which re-definition of computer
ethics one chooses, the best way to
understand the nature of the field is
through some representative examples of
the issues and problems that have
attracted research and scholarship.
1: Computers in the workplace: There
economic incentive to replace humans
with computerized devices are very high.
In the industrialized world many workers
have already been replaced by computers.
2. Computer Crime: In the this era of
computer crime, it is clear that computer
security is a topic of concern in the field of
computer ethics.
3: Privacy and Anonymity: One of the
earliest topics to arouse public interest
was privacy. The ease and efficiency with
which computers and computer networks
can be used to gather, store, search and
share personal information make the
computer technology especially
threatening to anyone who whish to keep
various kinds of sensitive information.
4. Intellectual Property: One of the more
controversial areas of computer ethics
concerns the intellectual property rights
connected with software ownership.
5. Globalisation: Computer ethics is rapidly
evolving into a broader and even more
important field, which might reasonably be
called “global information ethics”.
6. Global Cyberbusiness: Nations with a
technological infrastructure already in
place will enjoy rapid economic growth
while the rest of the world lags behind.
Economic implications of computer crime or
abuse
• The internet is growing faster than any
preceding technology. It took just 4 years for
internet to reach 50 million people. Whilst,
television 13 years and radio 38 years.
• In Italy, one out of six people are connected to
the internet.( Nua ltd)
• 65% of internet users have an annual household
income above $50,000.
• Traffic on the internet is doubling every two
days.
• 75% of all internet users have attended or
graduated from college.
• In the year 1997 $2.6 billion in sales was done
on the internet. 2000, $100 billion and 2002
$300 billion. 2003,$1.2 trillion and estimated
$4.8 trillion by 2004.(Boston Consulting Group)
• The internet is faster than the traditional selling method,
which take longer time to complete.
• Information about product are readily available.
• Products can be sold or ordered 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week, 365 days a year without the need for support
staff.
• It creates the atmosphere of a global selling place.
• It offers you a wider audience for products and services
TYPES OF ECONOMIC CRIME
• ELECTRONIC THEFT:
Citibank was subjected to over 40 electronic
thefts by a former Russian employee of a St
Petersburg software house.
Together, with a number of accomplices, he
managed to transfer approximately $7.5 million
to Finland, California, Israel, Germany, Holland
& Switzerland
(source:PCB Lawson House U.S.A)
• Police in London foiled a massive bank theft,
17th March 2005,the plan was to steal £220m
from the London offices of the Japanese bank,
Sumitomo Mitsui. They managed to infiltrate the
system with keylogging software.
• CREDIT CARD FRAUD:
An Internet retailer, C. D. Universe Who refused
to pay $100,000 to a Russian hacker, known as
"Maxim" stole 300,000 Credit Card numbers
from their web site. As a result, the hacker
posted some 25,000 credit card details on the
web, for all to see. (source: PCB Lawson House U.S.A)
• ONLINE AUCTION FRAUD: it is the number
one Internet fraud in the U. S. Goods often don’t
arrive, in one case a Russian fraudster ordered
goods using a stolen credit card, then sold them
on an online auction at a low price to United
States citizens, who then wired money to an
untraceable Latvian bank.. (source:PCB Laws- on House
U.S.A}
• Internet auction fraud accounted for 62 percent
of the 97,076 Internet fraud complaints that the
Internet Crime Complaint Center U.S,A. referred
to law-enforcement agencies for investigation in
2005.
• PYRAMID FRAUD
It entices the victim with promises of
extraordinary returns on investment. Those at
the top of the scheme are initially successful, but
subsequent investors loose all the money
invested. .(source: PCB Lawson House U.S.A)
• FRAUDULENT INTERNET BANKING SITES
The Internet allows fraudsters to offer bogus
credible banking services. It is difficult for the
consumer to discern between genuine and
fraudulent Internet banks. The fraudster
does not need to go to great expense to
dress up his site as genuine and will entice
victims with a promise of high interest
rates..(source: PCB Lawson House U.S.A )
• PHISHING:
This attack occurs when a hacker tries to
get people's banking details electronically
and then use the details to rob bank
accounts.
• A phishing email claiming that The National
Australia Bank (NAB) is bankrupt caught more
than 1,000 of the bank's customers in its net.
It claimed that the bank's ATMs were not
working, This caused panic withdrawals. It
invited them to click on a link that will provide
them with more information.
• The link in fact downloads a Trojan onto the
hapless banker's machine. This stole their bank
login details and password when they follow the
rest of the emailed "advice" to go online to check
their balance.
(Source channel Register, June 19,2006)
• The Anti-Phishing Working Group discovered
that almost 50,000 phishing Web sites were
created in 2005.
(Source: Computer crime research center. March 09,2006)
• CYBERTERRORISM:
This is a very real threat in today’s information
age. Cyberterrorists have at their disposal
weapons that can cause severe destruction.
Cyberterrorists, such as Russian cyber gangs
can attack anyone, anywhere, blackmailing
organizations into paying them millions to
prevent the terrorists from destroying their
systems.
• LOTTERY SCAM
These are emails that tells recipient they have
won a sum of money in a lottery. The recipient is
instructed to keep the notice secret and to
contact an agent. After contacting the "agent",
the recipient will be asked to pay money as fees,
but will never receive any lottery payment.
• At the end of 2005, the U.S. Department of
Treasury announced that cybercrime overtook
drug trafficking .Cybercrime cost $180 billion.
(source:Sun-Sentinel.com June 03, 2006)
• While criminal activity via the Internet is still a
fairly new phenomenon, the FBI ranks it just
behind stopping terrorism and
counterintelligence on their list of priorities.
• Nigerian 419 scam stole the most money off
Internet. Americans reported losing an all-time
high of $183 million to Internet fraud in 2005, up
169 percent from $68 million in 2004.
(Source: Internet Crime Complaint Center)
Social Implication of Computer technology
on Children
• The amount of time and the types of activities
that children engage in while using computers
are key factors influencing whether computer
technology has positive or negative effects on
their development.
• Studies on computer use, on children’s
development, learning, and on the effects of
other media, suggest that excessive,
unmonitored use of computers can be harmful.
Effects on Children’s Development
• Obesity in children is linked to excessive time in
front of a television screen, defined as five or
more hours a day.
• The sedentary time spent in front of a computer
screen could pose a similar risk.
• Reports warn that repetitive, strain injuries may
result when children use computer not designed
for them, and that children’s vision may be
harmed from staring too long at a computer
screen.
• Teens who spend more time online,
communicating with strangers in multi-user
domains and chat rooms, have been found to
experience greater declines in social
involvement and increases in their feelings of
loneliness and depression.
• Playing violent computer games, a popular
activity, especially among boys, has been linked
with increased aggression.
• Other studies show, however, that computer use
can have positive effects on children when used
appropriately.
• Interesting and engaging educational software
and nonprofit Web sites offer children
opportunities to explore the world and to create
original works of art and literature.
• Communicating through the Internet can enable
children to keep in touch with friends and family,
and to form online communities with others who
share their interests.
• Children’s use of home computers is linked to slightly
better academic performance.
• Through training in media literacy and “computer
fluency,” children can learn to recognize and seek out
higher-quality software and Web sites, and learn to use
computers in more active ways to create, design, and
invent.
• More systematic studies are needed to understand how
computer use affects children’s development, and to
help parents, teachers, and policymakers refine and
adopt guidelines that maximize the positive effects and
minimize the negative effects of computers in children’s
lives.
Youth Abuse
• The Youth Internet Safety Survey, conducted by
the Crimes against Children Research Center at
the University of New Hampshire, collected
information about incidents of possible online
victimization through telephone interviews with a
national sample of 1,501 youth ages 10 through
17 who used the Internet regularly (at least once
a month for 6 months).
• The survey addressed three main issues: sexual
solicitations and approaches, unwanted
exposure to sexual material, and harassment.
• The survey revealed that many youth are victims of
online sexual solicitations:
• Almost one in five (19 percent) of the young Internet
users surveyed received an unwanted sexual solicitation
in the past year.
• Five percent of the surveyed youth received a
distressing sexual solicitation (i.e., the solicitation made
them feel very or extremely upset or afraid).
Three percent of the youth received an aggressive
solicitation involving offline contact or attempts or
requests for offline contact.
None of the solicitations led to an actual sexual contact or
assault.
• One-third of the surveyed youth who had received a
solicitation were male; two-thirds were female.
The great majority (77 percent) of the victims were 14 to 17
years old; however, almost one quarter were ages 10 to
13. The younger group reported 37 percent of the
distressing solicitations.
Ninety-seven percent of the solicitors were strangers.
According to the youth, adults (age 18 and older) made
24 percent of all solicitations and 34 percent of
aggressive solicitations. Juveniles made 48 percent of all
solicitations and 48 percent of aggressive solicitations.
(The age of the solicitor was unknown in the remaining
incidents.) Two-thirds of all solicitations came from
males. One quarter of aggressive solicitations came from
females.
• The great majority of exposures involved
pictures with nudity; 38 percent showed people
having sex.
• Eight percent included violent images. Twentythree percent of the incidents of unwanted
exposure were described as very or extremely
upsetting; however, most incidents were not
reported to be distressing. Forty-four percent of
incidents were undisclosed.
• Harassment
The survey also revealed that some youth are
victims of online harassment:
Six percent of the young people surveyed
reported harassment incidents (threats, rumors,
or other offensive behavior) during the past year.
Two percent of the surveyed youth reported
episodes of distressing harassment (i.e., the
incident made them feel very or extremely upset
or afraid).
• Overall, few of the solicitations, exposures, and
harassments were reported to authorities (police,
hotlines, Internet service providers, or teachers).
• For example, only 18 percent of even the most serious
incidents, aggressive solicitations, were reported. When
reports were made, it was mostly to Internet service
providers.
• Most of the families with youth who used the Internet
regularly did not use filtering or blocking software. Thirtyeight percent had used such software at some time in
the past year, but 5 percent had discontinued its use.
• Many young people are being subjected to
dangerous and inappropriate experiences on the
Internet.
• The offenses and offenders are diverse, and the
primary vulnerable population is teenagers. The
study yielded a number of recommendations,
including the following:
• Youth and families should be encouraged to
report incidents to Internet service providers
and, when appropriate, to law enforcement.
• Mental health, school, and family counselors
should receive training about the effects of
online hazards on youth.
More understanding is needed about families’
knowledge of, attitudes about, and experiences
with filtering and blocking software.
• Concern about Internet victimization should not
eclipse efforts to combat other forms of youth
victimization
The Effects of Computer Use on the Eye
• The increased use of computers in the workplace has
brought about the development of a number of health
concerns. Many individuals who work at a computer
report a high level of job-related complaints and
symptoms, including visual discomfort, muscular strain
and stress.
• The level of discomfort appears to increase with the
amount of computer use. Visual discomfort and related
symptoms occurring in computer workers must be
recognized as a growing health problem.
• The complex of eye and vision problems related to near
work experienced during computer use has been termed
"computer vision syndrome".
• Many individuals who work at a computer
experience eye-related discomfort and/or visual
problems. However, based on current evidence
it is unlikely that the use of computers causes
permanent changes or damage to the eyes or
visual system.
• This report will review the factors relating to eye
and vision problems associated with computer
work and provide recommendations for
preventing or reducing their development.
• Eye and Vision Related Complaints
Studies have found that the majority of computer workers
experience some eye or vision symptoms.
However, it is unclear whether these problems occur to a
greater extent in computer workers than in workers in
other highly visually demanding occupations.
• A national survey of doctors in the U.S.A. of optometry
found that more than 14% of their patients present with
eye or vision-related symptoms resulting from computer
work. The most common symptoms are eyestrain,
headaches, blurred vision and neck or shoulder pain.
• The extent to which an individual may experience
symptoms is largely dependent upon his/her visual
abilities in relation to the visual demands of the task
being performed.
• These vision problems are not new or unique to
computer use. Many individuals in other highly visually
demanding occupations will experience similar vision
related problems.
• However, the unique characteristics and high visual
demands of computer work make many individuals
susceptible to the development of eye and vision-related
symptoms.
• Uncorrected vision conditions, poor computer design and
workplace ergonomics and a highly demanding visual
task can all contribute to the development of visual
symptoms and complaints.
Computer Workstation Design and
Placement
• Proper ergonomic design and adjustment of the
computer and the work environment can increase
productivity and worker comfort by decreasing the visual
demands of the task. Overall display legibility is an
important factor in visual performance.
• Screen brightness and contrast should be adjusted to
provide balance with room lighting and maximum
visibility.
• Lowering screen brightness will generally reduce
problems related to image stability or character flicker.
• Regular cleaning of the computer screen according to
manufacturers' directions will remove dust and dirt that
may also interfere with screen visibility.
• The color of computer screen characters may
also affect their ease of visibility.
• Adjustment of the workstation to meet the
individual needs of the operator is also important
for overall performance and comfort. Inadequate
viewing distances and angles can impose the
necessity for awkward postures when viewing a
computer screen.
• The appropriate distance from the eyes to the
computer screen is determined, in part, by the
size of the letters on the screen and the
adjustability of the workstation .
THE INTERNET AND PORNOGRAPY
• As at 2003, there were 1.3 million pornographic
websites; 260 million pages (N2H2, 2003).
• The total porn industry revenue for 2006: $13.3
billion in the United States; $97 billion worldwide
(Internet Filter Review).
• Unique worldwide users visiting adult web sites
monthly: 72 million (Internet Filter Review).
• Number of hardcore pornography titles released
in 2005 (U.S.): 13,588 (Internet Filter Review).
• Adults admitting to Internet sexual addiction:
10%; 28% of those are women (internet-filterreview.com).
• More than 70% of men from 18 to 34 visit a
pornographic site in a typical month (comScore Media
Metrix).
• More than 20,000 images of child pornography
posted online every week (National Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 10/8/03).
• Approximately 20% of all Internet pornography
involves children (National Center for Mission & Exploited
Children).
• 100,000 websites offer illegal child pornography (U.S.
Customs Service estimate).
• As of December 2005, child pornography was a $3
billion annual industry (internet-filter-review.com).
"At a 2003 meeting of the American Academy of
Matrimonial Lawyers, two thirds of the 350 divorce
lawyers who attended said the Internet played a
significant role in the divorces in the past year, with
excessive interest in online porn contributing to more
than half of such cases. Pornography had an almost
non-existent role in divorce just seven or eight years
ago." (Divorcewizards.com)
• A 1996 Promise Keepers survey at one of their stadium
events revealed that over 50% of the men in attendance
were involved with pornography within one week of
attending the event.
• 51% of pastors say cyber-porn is a possible temptation.
37% say it is a current struggle (Christianity Today,
Leadership Survey, 12/2001).
• Over half of evangelical pastors admits viewing
pornography.
• Roger Charman of Focus on the Family's Pastoral
Ministries reports that approximately 20 percent of the
calls received on their Pastoral Care Line are for help
with issues such as pornography and compulsive sexual
behavior.
• In a 2000 Christianity Today survey, 33% of
clergy admitted to having visited a sexually
explicit Web site. Of those who had visited a
porn site, 53% had visited such sites “a few
times” in the past year, and 18% visit sexually
explicit sites between a couple of times a month
and more than once a week.
• 57% of pastors say that addiction to
pornography is the most sexually damaging
issue to their congregation (Christians and Sex
Leadership Journal Survey, March 2005).
• Statistics on Women with Pornography
Addiction
• 28% those admitting to sexual addiction are
women (internet-filter-review.com).
• 34% of female readers of Today's Christian
Woman's online newsletter admitted to
intentionally accessing Internet porn in a recent
poll and 1 out of every 6 women, including
Christians, struggles with an addiction to
pornography (Today’s Christian Woman, Fall 2003).
• Statistics on Pornography's Effect on
Families and Marriages
• 47% percent of families said pornography is a
problem in their home (Focus on the Family Poll, October
1, 2003).
• The Internet was a significant factor in 2 out of 3
divorces (American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
in 2003 - divorcewizards.com).
• Statistics on Child Pornography Use
• 9 out of 10 children aged between the ages of 8
and 16 have viewed pornography on the
Internet, in most cases unintentionally (London
School of Economics January 2002).
• Average age of first Internet exposure to
pornography: 11 years old (internet-filter-review.com).
• Largest consumer of Internet pornography: 12 17 year-old age group (internet-filter-review.com).
• Youth with significant exposure to sexuality in
the media were shown to be 2.2 times more
likely to have had intercourse at ages 14 to 16
(Report in Pediatrics, April, 2006).
"Never before in the history of
telecommunications media in the United States
has so much indecent (and obscene) material
been so easily accessible by so many minors in
so many American homes with so few
restrictions."
EFFECTS OF PORNOGRAPY ON
CHILDREN
1.
Make Children Victims of Sexual Violence
The more pornography these individuals
access, the higher the risk of their acting
out what they see, including sexual
assault, rape, and child molestation.
2:Frequently Results in Sexual Illnesses, Unplanned
Pregnancies, and Sexual Addiction
As more and more children are exposed not only
to soft-core pornography, but also to explicit
deviant sexual material, they are learning an
extremely dangerous message from
pornographers: Sex without responsibility is
acceptable and desirable. Because pornography
encourages sexual expression without
responsibility, it endangers children's health.
3:Incite Children to Act Out Sexually against Other
Children.
Children often imitate what they've seen, read, or heard.
Studies suggest that exposure to pornography can
prompt kids to act out sexually against younger, smaller,
and more vulnerable children.
Experts in the field of childhood sexual abuse report that
any premature sexual activity in children always
suggests two possible stimulants: experience and
exposure. This means that the sexually deviant child
may have been molested or simply exposed to sexuality
through pornography.
4:It Shapes Attitudes and Values.
Ones children are exposed to pornography,
• They began to trivialize rape as a criminal
offense or no longer considered it a crime at all,
developed distorted perceptions about sexuality,
They developed an appetite for more deviant,
bizarre, or violent types of pornography (normal
sex no longer seemed to do the job), and lacked
confidence in marriage as either a viable or
lasting institution.
5:Interferes with a Child's Development and Identity .
During certain critical periods of childhood, a child's brain is
being programmed for sexual orientation. During this
period, the mind appears to be developing a "hardwire"
for what the person will be aroused by or attracted to.
Exposure to healthy sexual norms and attitudes during this
critical period can result in the child developing a healthy
sexual orientation. In contrast, if there is exposure to
pornography during this period, sexual deviance may
become imprinted on the child's "hard drive" and become
a permanent part of his or her sexual orientation
PUBLIC POLICY ON CHILD
PORNOGRAPY
• Just as there are laws to protect young people
up to a certain age from the possible harmful
effects of alcohol and tobacco, so there should
be laws to protect them from the even more
harmful effects of exposure to pornography.
America has the following laws.
• Children's Internet Protection Act of 2000
(CIPA)
CIPA requires public schools and libraries
receiving federal e-rate funds to use a portion of
those funds to filter their Internet access. They
must filter out obscenity on library computer
terminals used by adults and both obscenity and
harmful-to-minors materials on terminals used
by minor children.
• Child Online Protection Act of 1998 (COPA)
COPA makes it a crime for commercial websites
to make pornographic material that is "harmful to
minors" available to juveniles.
The purpose of COPA is to protect children from
instant access to pornographic "teaser images"
on porn syndicate Web pages. This much
needed legislation requires pornographers to
take a credit card number, adult verification
number, or access code to restrict children's
access to pornographic pictures, and allow
access to consenting adults.
• Child Protection and Sexual Predator Punishment
Act of 1998
This law increases protections for children from sexual
predators. This Act has two central provisions: The first
requires Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to report
evidence of child pornography and abuse violations to
law enforcement, and the second establishes a "zerotolerance" policy toward the possession of child
pornography. The possession law allows prosecution for
illegal possession of even one item of child pornography.
Legal Implication
• The legal system must respond to the new
technological environment in an effective
and appropriate way.
• The most fundamental issue in the
determination of the scope of protection in
the digital environment is, how rights are
defined, and what exceptions and
limitations are permitted.
• Other major issues include how rights are
enforced and administered in this
environment and who in the chain of
dissemination of infringing material can be
held legally responsible for the
infringement.
• The potential liability of online service and
access providers for infringements taking place
through their services has been the subject of
intense debate and lawsuits in recent years. The
liability issue has significant international
implications.
• The Internet being a borderless medium, and its
markets are global, it is crucial that the
approaches to the liability issue be compatible
around the world.
• The Global Information Infrastructure
Commission, an independent, non-govern
mental initiative involving communications
related industry leaders from developing
as well as industrialised countries,
identifies and defines seven major areas
to be addressed under the rubric of
consumer protection in electronic
commerce:
1:Truth in Advertising- In the electronic
marketplace, people lack the face-to-face
interaction of the traditional marketplace.
In addition, they cannot hold or test a
product before they buy. As a result, they
must rely on the information presented to
them online. Truth in advertising or
providing accurate information to the
consumer is essential if there is to be a
trust in the digital medium.
2:Electronic Contracting- Different legal
and private sector rules may apply to
business-to-consumer transactions. The
global nature of electronic commerce
poses questions about what requirements
are necessary for writing, carrying out, and
enforcing contracts.
3:Consumer Redress- In order to foster
consumer confidence in the electronic
marketplace, there needs to be an
effective means of resolving consumer
complaints or problems.
4:Online Fraud- The same types of
consumer fraud that exist in the real
marketplace are surfacing online. The
problem is complicated by the transitory
nature of the electronic marketplace and
the ability to maintain anonymity.
5:Privacy Protection- The growth of
electronic commerce and rapid
development of networking technologies
have revolutionized the way in which data
can be stored, accessed, and processed.
Consumers are not likely to participate in
the global marketplace without assurances
that their personal data exchanged during
a transaction will be protected.
6:Authentication and Security- Security
and authentication mechanisms can
provide the means to ensure and maintain
the integrity of information being
exchanged. These technological advances
will help promote trust and confidence in
electronic transactions.
• Consumer Education- As with any type of
commercial transaction, there are risks
associated with electronic commerce that may
not be able to be resolved by an updated
regulatory scheme or with technology.
Consumer education can help provide
consumers the information they need to make
informed decisions and provide information
about the consumers' rights and obligations
when conducting electronic transactions.
CYBERLAW
• Computer crime laws (sometimes referred
to as cyberlaw ) around the world deal with
some of the core issues;
• Unauthorised modification or destruction.
• Discloser of sensitive information
• Unauthorised access
• Use of malicious software (virus, malware
etc )
• Although we usually only think of the
victims and their systems that were
attached during a crime, laws have been
created to combat three categories of
crime.
• 1: Computer-assisted crime, where a
computer was used as a tool to help carry
out a crime.
• 2: Computer-targeted crime, concerns
incidents where a computer was the victim
of an attack crafted to harm it (and its
owners ) specifically ).
• 3: Computer is incidental, this is where a
computer is not necessary the attacker or
• Attackee, but just happened to be involved
when a crime was carried out.
Computer-assisted crimes
• Attacking financial systems to carry out
theft of funds and or sensitive information
• Obtaining military and intelligence material
by attacking military systems
• Carrying out industries spying by attacking
competitors and gathering confidential
business data.
• Carrying out information warfare activities
by attacking critical national infrastructure
systems
• Carrying out hactivism, which is protesting
a government or company’s activities by
attacking their systems and/ or defacing
their web sites.
Computer-targeted crime
• Distributed Denial- of- service(DDos )
attacks.
• Capturing passwords or other sensitive
data
• Installing malware with the intent to cause
destruction
• Installing rootkits and sniffers for malicious
purposes.
• Carrying out a buffer overflow to take
control of a system.