...INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICAL ISSUES Ethics is in accordance with the standards or rules for behavior or a practice especially the standards of professionalism. Information ethics is defined as a branch of ethics that is directed to the relationship between dissemination, organization, use and creation of information, and the moral and ethical codes governing human behavior in a society. Information system have raised ethical questions for both organizations and Individuals since they all create opportunities for intense social change, and thus putting at risk the current distribution of powers, rights, money and obligation. There are various ethical issues in information system privacy being one of them. Privacy is the right of a particular organization, including the state or individual to be left alone, free from interference and surveillance from others. Personal information of a particular individual or organization is critical, and the way they are handled can significantly interfere with the individual or the group. Privacy entails what information about an individual or an organization must a reveal to others, extend to which the information should be given and under what conditions. The information of a particular person or group should be safeguarded adequately to prevent its access by others without permission or consent. There are some of personal information that must be revealed to others...
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...Information Technology and the Rise of Ethical Issues The purpose of this research is to identify what are the advances in information technology that resulted in new ethical issues necessitating the creation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), 1991, and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 1998. To start examining the ethical issues of each act it was necessary to understand the meaning of the act and who the act affected. Each act applied to different age groups yet pertained some of the same ethical issues for the creation of each act. Once the meaning behind the acts were identified, the ethical issues were easy to recognize. Information Technology Information technology dramatically has changed the course of business in a rapid pace toward humanity. These advancements have made conducting business effective and efficient by the use of larger data storage, auto dialers, auto recordings, and identifiers, such as cookies or IP addresses to learn personal information. However, these advancements come with drawbacks that include morally and ethically wrong destruction toward individuals with their privacy and safety. Creation of Acts The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), 1991 was established for the consumers that did not wish to have telemarketers calling. The advancements in technology were enabling businesses to call residential phone numbers as well as sending facsimiles to market and sell products. The phone calls were...
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...Abstract Human beings are not always ethical. If we were all always ethical, there would be no need to discuss ethical matters. Rather, we sometimes do things that are not fair, not right, and not in the best interest of humanity or sometimes, ourselves. This research paper focuses on the ethical issues facing information technology. I will be identifying examples of those ethical issues, situations in which they occur, and helpful ways in which organizations can avoid abuse and catastrophes. Introduction Ethics is defined as moral principles that govern a person or group’s behavior. (insert reference) Now that we know the definition of ethics, then what are ethics in information technology? Ethics in information technology are a set of moral principles that police the use of computers and all forms of telecommunications used to receive, send, and store information. With the rise of information technology, more and more professionals have encountered ethical issues in the workplace and finding out there are situations in which ethical problems are becoming more prevalent. Some examples include; (1) problems with privacy and confidentiality, (2) computer security, and (3) computer crimes and computer related crimes. This paper will focus on these examples. Problems With Privacy and Confidentiality Information privacy is the right of an individual to determine what information is collected about them and how it is...
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...rather it is the severe mismanagement of e-waste in several developing countries. Others turn the attentions to the fact that the United States and European countries have no laws prohibiting the export of toxic waste. Rapid technology change, low initial cost, and even planned obsolescence have resulted in the fastest growth of the electrical and electronic equipment products and simultaneously resulted in the rapid development of e-waste around the globe due to enhanced rate of discarding the products after their end-of-life (EOL). (Bandyopadhyay). However, it is also worthwhile noting that in contrast, Waste Electronics and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) can offer a tremendous business opportunity if it would be treated in proper manner. Such is the emerging technology that support of the green computing and building our recycling infrastructure which is said to be woefully inadequate. Whichever ways these environmental issues are viewed, it is obvious in my opinion that the Waste Electronics and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) is problematic because of the vast array of chemicals and components used to manufacture EEE. The decision by all the stakeholders to act on mitigation of these problems is vital. This is a global issue accompanied by major ethical dilemma across all culture and it is also a problem which has created the cause for a common solution. Regulations & Guidelines Even though a national strategy is under consideration by the U.S. Environmental Protection...
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...Advances in Information Technology Create Ethical Issues that Drive Congressional Acts Ethics refers to what is morally good or bad, the division of right and wrong. The increase in ethical issues rises as information technology advances. What is unethical is not necessarily illegal. Therefore, congress is forced to set guidelines protecting consumer’s privacy, accuracy of information, the ownership and value of such information and who has access to it. The Electronic Funds Transfer Act of 1978 and the Health Information Portability and Protection Act of 2006 are just two examples of these types of acts. Information technology advances in order to keep up with the demands of the modern world. One such way, is the availability to access money from automated tellers and point of sale terminals. Congress implemented the Electronic Funds Transfer Act in 1978 to establish the basic rights, liabilities and responsibilities of consumers who use electronic funds services and financial institutions who offer those services. (FDIC, 2006). This law protects an individual consumer’s privacy by ensuring the financial institution protects the digital data it is storing and that it does not disseminate that information to the wrong individual. The financial institution must ensure it receives and authentic information from the consumer and accurately transfer the information into the computer system. The ETA also identifies error resolution and limits liability for any unauthorized...
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...Making Connections Between Ethical Foundations And The Challenges Presented By Information Technology.............................................. 14 May 2012 1 ProQuest Document 1 of 1 The Development Of A Code Of Ethics: An Online Classroom Approach To Making Connections Between Ethical Foundations And The Challenges Presented By Information Technology .. Author: Brooks, Rochelle. .. Publication info: American Journal of Business Education 3. 10 (Oct 2010): 1-13. .. ProQuest document link .. Abstract: In today's organizations, ethical challenges relate to areas like fraud, right to privacy for consumers, social responsibility, and trade restrictions. For Information Technology (IT) specifically, these can translate to considerations on how technology is used to violate people's privacy, how automation leads to job reductions, or how management information and its corresponding systems are used and abused for personal gain. In the last 25 years, people have seen an overwhelming technology infusion affecting business, education, and society. Virtually all areas of the society have been transformed by the usage of technology. The change is important from an ethical perspective in terms of who Information Technology (IT) workers are today and what their tasks are. Higher education, specifically in business schools, needs to take some responsibility in preparing students for the ethical usage of information technology and the underlying information...
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...world, technology has become a backbone in each field. It has gained its impact in almost each and every area. With each passing day, new technology is immerged; hence a proper methodology for adopting these technologies should be there, hence there is need for ethics and code ofconduct. “The use of information technology in society is creating a rather unique set of ethical issues that requires the making of new moral choices on the part of society and has spawned special implications for its members.” Technology is neither the only nor necessarily the cause of these issues. These issues initially arise out of the Human Agency. Technology has the capability to augment mental and physical powers of human beings, and hence it stands as a role of co-conspirator. “The hire of power-enhancing capabilities makes technology an inducer of sorts, a necessary but not sufficient underpinning to many of the ethical issues we face today.” [3] WHAT ARE COMPUTER ETHICS AND CODE OF CONDUCT? Computer Ethics refers to the principles that are used for making model decision in regards to the computer technology and computer use. They are nonspecific and wide ranging [1]While Code of Conduct is a summary issued by the board of directors which highlights specific behaviours which are required or forbidden as a condition of on-going employment [2]. Both Ethics and Codes are similar in a way that they try to encourage specific forms of Conduct by Employee. The only difference is Ethical Standards...
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...Issues This case is about the usage of genetically modified foods and up till today, this problem is continuing. It was stated that Taco Bell was accused of using StarLink corn (a type of genetically modified corn) in their taco shells. The StarLink had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it is safe for animal but not human consumption. From the time when this case happens, the public started to be aware of the possible dangers of genetically modified foods. Other than that, the prices of corn start to decline. This case had generated debates about genetically modified foods. There are two groups that shares different views about genetically modified food. One of the groups is the proponents of genetically modified food. This group believes that genetically modified food is not harmful and thinks that it helps to feed the hungry world. On the opposite are the anti-GM foods. Basically, this group deem GM food as a hazard and harmful to humankind and environment. Ethical Issues Technology has become more as more advanced as the time passes and technology are slowly playing a very important role in people’s life. However, there are advantages as well as disadvantages of using technology. One important issue that arises with the use of technology is ethical issues. The management’s goal of each company should attempt to keep away from immoral as well as amoral practices. They should instead adopt a moral management practice. The aims of the management...
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...are special technology and they raise some special ethical issues. In this essay I will discuss what makes computers different from other technology and how this difference makes a difference in ethical considerations. In particular, I want to characterize computer ethics and show why this emerging field is both intellectually interesting and enormously important. On my view, computer ethics is the analysis of the nature and social impact of computer technology and the corresponding formulation and justification of policies for the ethical use of such technology. I use the phrase "computer technology" because I take the subject matter of the field broadly to include computers and associated technology. For instance, I include concerns about software as well as hardware and concerns about networks connecting computers as well as computers themselves. 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, i.e., to formulate policies to guide our actions. Of course, some ethical situations confront us as individuals and some as a society. Computer ethics includes consideration of both personal and social policies for the ethical use of computer...
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...activities, along with class discussion and any other assignments your professor may require will enable you to achieve the course objectives and demonstrate knowledge of key concepts and apply this understanding to real-world digital ethics topics and situations. Understand that your work will comprise a Learning Portfolio for the course and these assignments are linked! You will be faced with work that advances with a progression from a general basic framework for decision making to more specific analysis and critical thinking about more complex ethical issues. Current Events 5% Conference Posting of articles on IT-related Ethical Global issues (multi-national corporation) The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a current event article on global ethical issues from a multi-national corporation perspective. This assignment is designed to increase your knowledge from a corporate viewpoint and enable you to analyze ethical issues from a current GLOBAL situation or event. This will also enhance your research and writing skills and your critical-thinking abilities. Select a current topic (2010 source or later) and find an appropriate article on the topic. Provide the persistent URL (one that anyone can click on to read the original article) or paste the article in the Conference or provide the article as an attachment. The following elements must be addressed: Summarize its key points Analyze its multi-national and global aspects Determine three critically important...
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...Ethical and Legal Issues Concerning At-will Employment Jasmine Mills Park University Abstract As years pass by, every sphere of life is taking a new dimension; for instance, advancing technology. This has resulted in some ethical issues in workplaces such as cyberloafing, privacy, information technology usage, employee monitoring. Also, legal issues in workplaces such as lawsuits have emerged. Both employers and employees are worried about the ethical consequences resulting from the ethical issues While bosses use surveillance devices to keep track of their workers' activities and output, these workers feel that excessive monitoring is an attack on their confidentiality and privacy. The strategy of checking workers on a timely basis is contributed by the fact that bosses have rights over everything in the “at-will employment environment.” Additionally, this paper provides a proposal for reducing the ethical and legal issues. The paper also encourages organizations to generate and efficiently communicate ethical standards for workers in their companies. It also includes real examples of workers' perceptions as well as an emotional state from the surveys based on ethical and legal issues raised regarding the topic of study. Keywords: At-will employment, employee monitoring, Ethical and legal issues. Introduction At- will means employment can be terminated at any time, for any reason or no reason without facing legal action. Likewise, an employee can quit a job with or...
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...objective manner with the aim of covering rise of technology, with a specific focus on the digital divide. Indeed, the digital divide refers to the difference or gap between the people who have access to technology and those who lack access to technology. Clearly, computer technology has brought about significant ethical and social effects among people from all dimensions. The significance of the digital divide can be witnessed at school and work. The evidence of a digital divide can be seen in terms of the differences in access to computer technology. Different obstacles that limit the access to computer technology for some individuals have caused the divide. Access to computer technology is limited by the differences in geographical areas. From the geographical perspective, statistics indicate that individuals living in suburban areas have a higher access to computer technology both online and computer access as compared to rural and central city residents (Kizza, 2002). Income levels also determine the access to computer technology since computer gadgets or devices are monetized thus individuals have to purchase them and this poses a challenge to people who experience financial constraints. Other -issues include ethnicity where statistics indicate that white non-Hispanic individuals have a higher access to computer technology as compared to other individuals. Age and education also determine the access to computer technology. I agree with Kizza (2002), The digital divide...
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...Keith Vaughn CPSC110 Thomas 6/13/2013 Ethics and Technology The rapid advancement of technology greatly affects how we live. Literally speaking, we are now in the age where everything moves at our fingertips. From gadgets, to internet, agriculture and almost every aspect of our lives technology is confronting us affecting our decisions, affecting even the way how we interact with one another. The days when letters are delivered through postal mail are almost over; the day when communications will take many days to be completed is vanishing; now we are bringing our plants into the laboratory in the hope to cultivate a better species. No matter how we see it, technology now dictates the pace of our lives, and we must adopt and move fast in order not to be left behind. Several questions however remains, does technology influence us so much that it even affects even the core of our humanity? Does technology also dictate our values, morals and ethics? Accompanied by these questions is the responsibility for us to make decisions within the boundary of our ethical standards to negate the negative impacts brought about by the onset of the technological race. While the word ethics has been seen and defined across the centuries, there still is no uniform definition that will describe the word perfectly. In the “Studies of Christian Ethics Syllabus”, Tardo defines ethics as a set of personal values and principles that separate what is viewed as right or wrong and that guide every...
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...The daily use of information technology for personal and business environment has created an innovative effect on people lives. This change has been an important factor for success through everyday life function. The fast growing pace of information technology brought along many ethical issues, like privacy, property, and accuracy, as people began to share their personal data over networks. These major issues brought new laws to defend consumers, for example The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991, and the Do Not Call Implementation Act of 2003 form after Information Technology began to grow so fast creating ethical issues over customers information shared on networks. The new laws Telephone Consumer Protection Act 1991 and Do Not Call Implementation Act 2003 were necessary as information technology progress creating ethical issues over the years. References: Introduction to Information Systems: Enabling and Transforming Business, 3rd Edition R. Kelly Rainer, Casey G. Cegielski ©2011 Advances in information technology (IT) are meant to improve various aspects of life. Unfortunately, IT advances are resulting in a growing amount of ethical issues. The major ethical issues associated with IT advancements are privacy, property, accuracy, and ease of access to sensitive information. Privacy can easily be breached when information is stored in databases and shared over networks. Ethical issues due to advances in IT call for the creation of new acts to...
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...Table of Contents Ethical and Social Issues In Information System 1 Chapter one 3 Introduction to the Study 3 Context of the Problem 4 Statement of the Problem 5 Research Questions 6 Introduction 6 Research Question 6 Research Question 7 Research Question 7 Significance of the Study 8 Research Design and Methodology 9 Organization of the study 9 Literature Review 10 Introduction 10 References 14 Chapter one Introduction to the Study Ethical and social issues in information system is a combination of the benefits and disadvantages of using computer and computer related devices, social networks versus our ethics, morals and beliefs. The importance and reliability of computer in our day to day running of human life cannot be over emphasized. Social networking platforms may allow organizations to improve communication and productivity by disseminating information among different groups of employees in a more efficient manner, resulting in increased productivity. While it is not meant to be all-inclusive, there are a lot of problems faced by its usage in younger generations, businesses use, and the even medical field. The social media comes with risks as it opens up the possibility for hackers to commit fraud, launch spam and virus attacks, and also increases the risk...
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