MODULE SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 2 – SP2

CHAPTER 3: Computer Ethics

Objectives:
a.) Discuss the foundation of computer ethics.
b.) Identify the future concerns in computer ethics and internet
privacy issues.
c.) Discover the ten commandments of computer ethics
d.)

Lesson 1: Introduction
Computer ethics is a part of practical
philosophy concerned with how computing professionals
should make decisions regarding professional and social
conduct. Margaret Anne Pierce, a professor in the
Department of Mathematics and Computers at Georgia
Southern University has categorized the ethical decisions
related to computer technology and usage into three
primary influences:
1. The individual's own personal code.
2. Any informal code of ethical conduct that exists in
the work place.
3. Exposure to formal codes of ethics.
Foundation
The term computer ethics was first coined by Walter Maner, a professor at Bowling
Green State University. Maner noticed ethical concerns that were brought up during his Medical
Ethics course at Old Dominion University became more complex and difficult when the use of
technology and computers became involved. The conceptual foundations of computer ethics are
investigated by information ethics, a branch of philosophical ethics promoted, among others,
by Luciano Florida.
History
The concept of computer ethics originated in the 1940s with MIT professor Norbert
Wiener, the American mathematician and philosopher. While working on anti-aircraft artillery
during World War II, Wiener and his fellow engineers developed a system of communication
between the part of a cannon that tracked a warplane, the part that performed calculations to
estimate a trajectory, and the part responsible for firing. Wiener termed the science of such
information feedback systems, "cybernetics," and he discussed this new field with its related

Page 1
 MODULE SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 2 – SP2

ethical concerns in his 1948 book, Cybernetics. In 1950, Wiener's second book, The Human Use
of Human Beings, delved deeper into the ethical issues surrounding information technology and
laid out the basic foundations of computer ethics.
A bit later during the same year, the world's first computer crime was committed. A programmer
was able to use a bit of computer code to stop his banking account from being flagged as
overdrawn. However, there were no laws in place at that time to stop him, and as a result he was
not charged. To make sure another person did not follow suit, an ethics code for computers was
needed.
In 1973, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) adopted its first code of ethics. SRI
International's Donn Parker, an author on computer crimes, led the committee that developed
the code.
In 1976, medical teacher and researcher Walter Maner noticed that ethical decisions are much
harder to make when computers are added. He noticed a need for a different branch of ethics
for when it came to dealing with computers. The term "computer ethics" was thus invented.
In 1976 Joseph Weizenbaum made his second significant addition to the field of computer ethics.
He published a book titled Computer Power and Human Reason, which talked about how artificial
intelligence is good for the world; however it should never be allowed to make the most
important decisions as it does not have human qualities such as wisdom. By far the most
important point he makes in the book is the distinction between choosing and deciding. He
argued that deciding is a computational activity while making choices is not and thus the ability
to make choices is what makes us humans.
At a later time during the same year Abbe Mowshowitz, a professor of Computer Science at the
City College of New York, published an article titled "On approaches to the study of social issues
in computing." This article identified and analyzed technical and non-technical biases in research
on social issues present in computing.
During 1978, the Right to Financial Privacy Act was adopted by the United States Congress,
drastically limiting the government's ability to search bank records.
During the next year Terrell Ward Bynum, the professor of Philosophy at Southern Connecticut
State University as well as Director of the Research Center on Computing and Society there,
developed curriculum for a university course on computer ethics. Bynum was also editor of the
journal Metaphilosophy. In 1983 the journal held an essay contest on the topic of computer
ethics and published the winning essays in its best-selling 1985 special issue, “Computers and
Ethics.”
In 1984, the United States Congress passed the Small Business Computer Security and Education
Act, which created a Small Business Administration advisory council to focus on computer
security related to small businesses.

Page 2
 MODULE SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 2 – SP2

In 1985, James Moor, Professor of Philosophy at DartMouth College in New Hampshire,

published an essay called "What is Computer Ethics?" In this essay Moor states, the computer
ethics includes the following: "(1) identification of computer-generated policy vacuums, (2)
clarification of conceptual muddles, (3) formulation of policies for the use of computer
technology, and (4) ethical justification of such policies."
During the same year, Deborah Johnson, Professor of Applied Ethics and Chair of the Department
of Science, Technology, and Society in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of the
University of Virginia, got the first major computer ethics textbook published. Johnson's textbook
identified major issues for research in computer ethics for more than 10 years after publication
of the first edition.
In 1988, Robert Hauptman, a librarian at St. Cloud University, came up with "information ethics",
a term that was used to describe the storage, production, access and dissemination of
information. Near the same time, the Computer Matching and Privacy Act was adopted and this
act restricted United States government programs identifying debtors.
In the year 1992, ACM adopted a new set of ethical rules called "ACM code of Ethics and
Professional Conduct" which consisted of 24 statements of personal responsibility.
Three years later, in 1995, Krystyna Górniak-Kocikowska, a Professor of Philosophy at Southern
Connecticut State University, Coordinator of the Religious Studies Program, as well as a Senior
Research Associate in the Research Center on Computing and Society, came up with the idea that
computer ethics will eventually become a global ethical system and soon after, computer ethics
would replace ethics altogether as it would become the standard ethics of the information age.
In 1999, Deborah Johnson revealed her view, which was quite contrary to Górniak-Kocikowska's
belief, and stated that computer ethics will not evolve but rather be our old ethics with a slight
twist.
Post 20th century, as a result to much debate of ethical guidelines, many organizations such as
ABET offer ethical accreditation to University or College applications such as "Applied and Natural
Science, Computing, Engineering and Engineering Technology at the associate, bachelor, and
master levels" to try and promote quality works that follow sound ethical and moral guidelines.
In 2018 The Guardian and The New York Times reported that Facebook took data from 87 million
Facebook users to sell to Cambridge Analytica.
In 2019 Facebook started a fund to build an ethics center at the Technical University of Munich,
located in Germany. This was the first time that Facebook funded an academic institute for
matters regarding computer ethics.

For more knowledge about computer ethics, please check the link provided;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFszY5bTx5s

Page 3
 MODULE SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 2 – SP2

Lesson 2: Future Concerns and Internet Privacy

Future Concerns
Computer crime, privacy, anonymity, freedom, and intellectual property fall under
topics that will be present in the future of computer ethics.
Ethical considerations have been linked to the Internet of Things (IoT) with many physical devices
being connected to the internet.
Virtual Crypto-currencies in regards to the balance of the current purchasing relationship
between the buyer and seller.
Autonomous technology such as self-driving cars forced to make human decisions. There is also
concern over how autonomous vehicles would behave in different countries with different
culture values.
Security risks have been identified with cloud-based technology with every user interaction being
sent and analyzed to central computing hubs. Artificial intelligence devices like the Amazon
Alexa and Google Home are collecting personal data from users while at home and uploading it
to the cloud. Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana smartphone assistants are collecting user
information, analyzing the information, and then sending the information back to the user.
Internet privacy
Privacy is one of the major issues that has emerged since the internet has become part
of many aspects of daily life. Internet users hand over personal information in order to sign up or
register for services without realizing that they are potentially setting themselves up for invasions
of privacy.
Another example of privacy issues, with concern to Google, is tracking searches. There is a
feature within searching that allows Google to keep track of searches so that advertisements will
match your search criteria, which in turn means using people as products. Google was sued in
2018 due to tracking user location without permission.
There is an ongoing discussion about what privacy and privacy enforcement measures imply.
With the increase in social networking sites, more and more people are allowing their private
information to be shared publicly. On the surface, this may be seen as someone listing private
information about them on a social networking site, but below the surface, it is the site that could
be sharing the information (not the individual). This is the idea of an opt-in versus opt-
out situation. There are many privacy statements that state whether there is an opt-in or an opt-
out policy. Typically an opt-in privacy policy means that the individual has to tell the company
issuing the privacy policy if they want their information shared or not. Opt-out means that their
information will be shared unless the individual tells the company not to share it.

Page 4
 MODULE SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 2 – SP2

A whole industry of privacy and ethical tools has grown over time, giving people the choice to
not share their data online. These are often open source software, which allows the users to
ensure that their data is not saved to be used without their consent.
Identifying issues
Identifying ethical issues as they arise, as well as defining how to deal with them, has traditionally
been problematic. In solving problems relating to ethical issues, Michael Davis proposed a unique
problem-solving method. In Davis's model, the ethical problem is stated, facts are checked, and
a list of options is generated by considering relevant factors relating to the problem. The actual
action taken is influenced by specific ethical standards.

For more knowledge about Future Concerns and Internet Privacy, please check the
link provided; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG4JL0ZRmi4

Lesson 3: Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

The Ten Commandments of Computer
Ethics were created in 1992 by the Washington,
D.C. based Computer Ethics Institute. The
commandments were introduced in the paper "In
Pursuit of a 'Ten Commandments' for Computer Ethics"
by Ramon C. Barquin as a means to create "a set of
standards to guide and instruct people in
the ethical use of computers." They follow the Internet Advisory Board's memo on ethics from
1987. The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics copies the archaic style of the Ten
Commandments from the King James Bible.
The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics
1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.
4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
6. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid (without
permission).
7. Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper
compensation.
8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.

Page 5
 MODULE SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 2 – SP2

9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the
system you are designing.
10. Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for other
humans.
Exegesis
 Commandment 1
Simply put: Do not use the computer in ways that may harm other people.
Explanation: This commandment says that it is unethical to use a computer to harm another user.
It is not limited to physical injury. It includes harming or corrupting other users' data or files. The
commandment states that it is wrong to use a computer to steal someone's personal information.
Manipulating or destroying files of other users is ethically wrong. It is unethical to write programs,
which on execution lead to stealing, copying or gaining unauthorized access to other users' data.
Being involved in practices like hacking, spamming, phishing or cyber bullying does not conform
to computer ethics.
 Commandment 2
Simply put: Do not use computer technology to cause interference in other users' work.
Explanation: Computer software can be used in ways that disturb other users or disrupt their
work. Viruses, for example, are programs meant to harm useful computer programs or interfere
with the normal functioning of a computer. Malicious software can disrupt the functioning of
computers in more ways than one. It may overload computer memory through excessive
consumption of computer resources, thus slowing its functioning. It may cause a computer to
function wrongly or even stop working. Using malicious software to attack a computer is
unethical.
 Commandment 3
Simply put: Do not spy on another person's computer data.
Explanation: We know it is wrong to read someone's personal letters. On the same lines, it is
wrong to read someone else's email messages or files. Obtaining data from another person's
private files is nothing less than breaking into someone's room. Snooping around in another
person's files or reading someone else's personal messages is the invasion of his privacy. There
are exceptions to this. For example, spying is necessary and cannot be called unethical when it is
done against illegitimate use of computers. For example, intelligence agencies working on
cybercrime cases need to spy on the internet activity of suspects.
 Commandment 4
Simply put: Do not use computer technology to steal information.

Page 6
 MODULE SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 2 – SP2

Explanation: Stealing sensitive information or leaking confidential information is as good as

robbery. It is wrong to acquire personal information of employees from an employee database
or patient history from a hospital database or other such information that is meant to be
confidential. Similarly, breaking into a bank account to collect information about the account or
account holder is wrong. Illegal electronic transfer of funds is a type of fraud. With the use of
technology, stealing of information is much easier. Computers can be used to store stolen
information.
 Commandment 5
Simply put: Do not contribute to the spread of misinformation using computer technology.
Explanation: Spread of information has become viral today, because of the Internet. This also
means that false news or rumors can spread speedily through social networking sites or emails.
Being involved in the circulation of incorrect information is unethical. Mails and pop-ups are
commonly used to spread the wrong information or give false alerts with the only intent of selling
products. Mails from untrusted sources advertising certain products or spreading some hard-to-
believe information, are not uncommon. Direct or indirect involvement in the circulation of false
information is ethically wrong. Giving wrong information can hurt other parties or organizations
that are affected by that particular theme.
 Commandment 6
Simply put: Refrain from copying software or buying pirated copies. Pay for software unless it is
free.
Explanation: Like any other artistic or literary work, software is copyrighted. A piece of code is
the original work of the individual who created it. It is copyrighted in his/her name. In case of a
developer writing software for the organization she works for, the organization holds the
copyright for it. Copyright holds true unless its creators announce it is not. Obtaining illegal copies
of copyrighted software is unethical and also encourages others to make copies illegally.
 Commandment 7
Simply put: Do not use someone else's computer resources unless authorized to.
Explanation: Multi-user systems have user specific passwords. Breaking into some other user's
password, thus intruding his/her private space is unethical. It is not ethical to hack passwords for
gaining unauthorized access to a password-protected computer system. Accessing data that you
are not authorized to access or gaining access to another user's computer without her permission
is not ethical.
 Commandment 8

Page 7
 MODULE SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES 2 – SP2

Simply put: It is wrong to claim ownership on a work which is the output of someone else's
intellect.
Explanation: Programs developed by a software developer are her property. If he is working with
an organization, they are the organization's property. Copying them and propagating them in
one's own name is unethical. This applies to any creative work, program or design. Establishing
ownership on a work which is not yours is ethically wrong.
 Commandment 9
Simply put: Before developing a software, think about the social impact it can have.
Explanation: Looking at the social consequences that a program can have, describes a broader
perspective of looking at technology. A computer software on release, reaches millions. Software
like video games and animations or educational software can have a social impact on their users.
When working on animation films or designing video games, for example, it is the programmer's
responsibility to understand his target audience/users and the effect it may have on them. For
example, a computer game for kids should not have content that can influence them negatively.
Similarly, writing malicious software is ethically wrong. A software developer/development firm
should consider the influence their code can have on the society at large.
 Commandment 10
Simply put: In using computers for communication, be respectful and courteous with the fellow
members.
Explanation: The communication etiquette we follow in the real world applies to communication
over computers as well. While communicating over the Internet, one should treat others with
respect. One should not intrude others' private space, use abusive language, make false
statements or pass irresponsible remarks about others. One should be courteous while
communicating over the web and should respect others' time and resources. Also, one should be
considerate with a novice computer user.

For more knowledge about ten commandments of computer ethics, please check the
link provided; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVYH-O_Il0g

REFERENCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_ethics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments_of_Computer_Ethics

Page 8