ICE BREAKER
If you could come up with one ethical law for
computer programmers, what would that law be?
By the end of the lesson you should be able to:
• Discuss Importance of Ethics in Computing
• Discus foundational principles of ethics and professionalism in computing
• Discuss real world examples of ethical dilemmas in computing
What is Ethics?
A set of moral principles that govern the behavior of a group of individual.
, What is computer Ethics?
Computer Ethics is a part of practical philosophy (viewpoint/idea) concerned with how
computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct.
Unethical behavior in Computing
1. Data Breach and Unauthorized Access: An employee of a large tech company gains
unauthorized access to sensitive customer data and sells it to a competitor. This results in a
massive data breach, compromising the personal information of thousands of users.
2. Software Piracy: A software developer creates a popular application and decides to
distribute unauthorized copies of the software for free or for a lower price, violating
copyright laws and undermining the legitimate sales of the software.
3. Algorithmic Bias: A machine learning engineer develops an algorithm for a job
recruitment platform. The algorithm unintentionally exhibits bias against certain
demographic groups, leading to discriminatory hiring practices that disadvantage
candidates from those groups.
4. Social Media Manipulation: A social media company employs tactics to manipulate
user behavior, such as designing addictive features to keep users engaged for longer
periods, exploiting psychological vulnerabilities, and spreading misinformation for
financial gain.
5. Insider Trading with Technology: An employee working in a financial institution
uses privileged information gained through their role to engage in insider trading.
They leverage advanced algorithms and high-frequency trading strategies to exploit
market information before it becomes public.
If you could come up with one ethical law for
computer programmers, what would that law be?
By the end of the lesson you should be able to:
• Discuss Importance of Ethics in Computing
• Discus foundational principles of ethics and professionalism in computing
• Discuss real world examples of ethical dilemmas in computing
What is Ethics?
A set of moral principles that govern the behavior of a group of individual.
, What is computer Ethics?
Computer Ethics is a part of practical philosophy (viewpoint/idea) concerned with how
computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct.
Unethical behavior in Computing
1. Data Breach and Unauthorized Access: An employee of a large tech company gains
unauthorized access to sensitive customer data and sells it to a competitor. This results in a
massive data breach, compromising the personal information of thousands of users.
2. Software Piracy: A software developer creates a popular application and decides to
distribute unauthorized copies of the software for free or for a lower price, violating
copyright laws and undermining the legitimate sales of the software.
3. Algorithmic Bias: A machine learning engineer develops an algorithm for a job
recruitment platform. The algorithm unintentionally exhibits bias against certain
demographic groups, leading to discriminatory hiring practices that disadvantage
candidates from those groups.
4. Social Media Manipulation: A social media company employs tactics to manipulate
user behavior, such as designing addictive features to keep users engaged for longer
periods, exploiting psychological vulnerabilities, and spreading misinformation for
financial gain.
5. Insider Trading with Technology: An employee working in a financial institution
uses privileged information gained through their role to engage in insider trading.
They leverage advanced algorithms and high-frequency trading strategies to exploit
market information before it becomes public.
