ENT 101 Week 12 - Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems W24 100 % correct & verified 2026 update

Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems Roger de Peiza 2 At the end of this module, you should be able to: 1. Identify the ethical, social, and political issues that are raised by information systems. 2. Identify the principles for conduct that can be used to guide ethical decisions. 3. Evaluate the impact of contemporary information systems and the Internet on the protection of individual privacy and intellectual property. 4. Assess how information systems have affected everyday life. At the end of this lesson students should be able to: Identify the ethical, social, and political issues that are raised by information systems. Identify the principles for conduct that can be used to guide ethical decisions. Evaluate the impact of contemporary information systems and the Internet on the protection of individual privacy and intellectual property. Assess how information systems have affected everyday life. This weeks learning objectives Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems Roger de Peiza 3 moral issues a ologies and syst n, and processi concerns the e use of informat n, duplication, d Copy, use, and distribute software y and Search nfor. databases m for yers. sensitive infor. Destro steal i fro emplo • Information ethics Hack into thical and Create and rising from the development and computer ion techn spread ems, as well as the creation, collectio systems to istributio viruses ng of information itself. steal infor. Ethics are the principles of right and wrong that individuals, acting as free moral agents, use to make choices to guide their behavior. Ethics is about our individual choices. Now we know that information is neutral. Information does not care how it is used. Information will not stop itself from sending spam, viruses, or highly-sensitive information. Information cannot delete or preserve itself. Individuals form the only ethical component of MIS. It is individuals who copy, use , and distribute software. It is individuals who search organizational databases for sensitive and personal information. Individuals create and spread viruses. Individuals hack into computer systems to steal information and it is employees who destroy and steal their employer’s information. Information ethics concerns the ethical and moral issues arising from the development and use of information technologies and systems, as well as the creation, collection, duplication, distribution, and processing of information itself. The rampant introduction and use of information has led to information ethics being more important in the workplace. Ethics are the principles of right and wrong that individuals, acting as free moral agents, use to make choices to guide their behavior Ethics is about individual choice Information Ethics Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems Roger de Peiza 4 We have seen that the introduction of new information technology has often caused a ripple effect, raising new social, ethical, and political issues that must be dealt with on an individual, social, and political level. Let’s talk about one of the first cases of cyberbullying that was prominent in Canada. That was the case of Amanda Todd. Amanda was a vulnerable teenager who was befriended by someone on social media. The person turned out to be a stalker and who made Amanda’s life hell after he had asked for and she had sent nude photos of herself to him. She eventually took her own life. She was 15. In response to her death, Christy Clark, the then Premier of British Columbia, made an online statement of condolence and suggested a national discussion on criminalizing cyberbullying. Also, a motion was introduced in the Canadian House of Commons to study of the scope of bullying in Canada, and to provide more funding and support for anti-bullying organizations. This case led to an international manhunt for the perpetrator involving authorities in the Netherlands, U.K., and Canada. A Dutch man was arrested and charged. He is still awaiting extradition to Canada after he serves time for similar charges in the Netherlands. Amanda Todd The introduction of new information technology often causes ripple effects in society raising all sorts of new ethical, social, and political issues. Information systems and ethics Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems Roger de Peiza 5 Here are some of the key technology trends that raise serious ethical issues as we go forward. Firstly, we know that computing power doubles every 18 months or so. This trend has caused an ever-increasing reliance on, and vulnerability to, computer systems. How many of you can, for instance, do without the Internet or your smart phone for more than a few hours. Secondly, data storage costs had been rapidly declining. What this has meant is that companies can store large amounts of data on almost everyone. In addition, individuals can copy and store large volumes of music, video and creative works of others without giving credit to the people who created the original work. Thirdly, as data analysis advances there is a greater ability to profile others and obtain very detailed personal information on individuals. Fourthly, with advances in networking and the Internet, large quantities of personal data can be easily moved around and accessed by anyone. Finally, with the growth of mobile computing and the concomitant increase in location-based services, anyone's location can be easily tracked without their consent. To see how easy it is, just have a look at the location services on your smartphone. You could easily see a list of all the places that your phone had been to over the past several months. You will even get the precise date and time and the exact location of where you were on a map. Computing power • Increased reliance on, and vulnerability to, computer doubles every 18 months systems Data storage costs rapidly declining Multiplying databases on individuals Data analysis advances Networking advances and • Enables moving and accessing large quantities of personal the Internet data Mobile devices growth impact Tracking cell phones without user consent or knowledge Key technology trends that raise ethical issues Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems Roger de Peiza 6 There are some basic ethical principles that apply to everything that we do, including with the information systems that we use. There is the Golden Rule that states “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Some of you may have heard of Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative which states that “if an action is not right for everyone to take then it is not right for anyone to take”. Golden Rule •Do unto others as you would have them do unto you Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative •If an action is not right for everyone to take, it is not right for anyone Descartes' rule of change •If an action cannot be taken repeatedly, it is not right to take at all Candidate Ethical Principles Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems Roger de Peiza 7 If an action is negative, meant to distress other or does not seek to achieve a higher purpose then my question to you is why take such an action? This is the essence of the Utilitarian principle. Similarly, many doctors take the Hippocratic oath which binds them doing no harm. This was created by Hippocrates in the 5th century BC and is a basis of the risk aversion principle. Another principle that should guide our action is to always remember that there is no free lunch. We are familiar with the many scams that offer us millions of dollars for doing nothing only to have us be a victim at the end of the day. If its too good to be true, then it probably is not.