Lecture7(ethics&it use)

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Social and Ethical

Consideration

of IT Use

Abdisalam Issa-Salwe

Thames Valley University

Abdisalam Issa-Salwe, Thames Valley University

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Topic list

Ethics and IT use

Social, political issues raised by information systems

Data protection

Moral dimensions of information society


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IT Dilemma

Computing technology is the most powerful and flexible technology ever devised.

It is changing everything - where and how we work, learn, shop, eat, vote, receive medical care, spend free time, make war and friends.


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IT Dilemma (cont…)

The information revolution has become a tidal wave that threatens to engulf and change all that humans value.

Governments, organisations and individual citizens therefore would make a grave mistake if they view the computer revolution as "merely technological".

It is fundamentally social and ethical.


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IT Dilemma (cont…) IT revolution widens to satisfy human

thirst for knowledge and the desire to be the dominant species on the globe and in the universe.

The newly-found powers of computing come at a price - dependence.

Information is now the life blood of society and its organisations, and our dependence grows daily with the advance of the global information net and multimedia


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IT dilemma (cont…)

Utilising new technology, needs implementing better security.

Digital technology as a double-edge sword that has many benefits but also presents ethical dilemmas.

Information can be gathered, manipulated and disseminated more quickly now than ever in our history.


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Data protection principles

Personal data is information about a living individual, including expression of opinion about him or her.

Data about organisation is not personal data

Data users are organisation or individuals who control personal data and the use of personal data

A data subject is an individual who is the subject of personal data


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Ethics

Principles of right and wrong

Can be used by individuals acting as free moral agents to make choices to guide their behaviour

Understanding the moral risks of new technology

Establishing corporate ethics policies that include information systems issues


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Ethics (cont…)

The dynamics connecting ethical, social, and political issues

Identifies the moral dimensions of the “information society”, across individual, social, and political levels of action

Information: the new life-blood of society, empowers

those who have it;

but it also disenfranchises those who do not


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Moral Dimensions

Information rights and obligations

Property rights

Accountability and control

System quality

Quality of life


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ETHICAL, SOCIAL & POLITICAL ISSUES

INDIVIDUAL

SOCIETY

POLITY

ETHICAL ISSUES

SOCIAL ISSUES

POLITICAL ISSUES

QUALITY OF LIFE

INFORMATION

RIGHTS &

OBLIGATIONS

PROPERTY

RIGHTS &

OBLIGATIONS

ACCOUNTABILITY

& CONTROL

SYSTEM

QUALITY

INFORMATION

&

TECHNOLOGY


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Basic concepts

Responsibility: accepting costs, duties, obligations for decisions

Accountability: assessing responsibilities for decisions & actions

Liability: must pay for legal damages

Due process: insures laws are applied properly


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Edward F. Gehringer

http://www.csc.ncsu.edu/faculty/gehringer/


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Privacy and data protection

Privacy:

The right of the individual to control the use of information about him or her, including information on financial status, health and lifestyle (I.e. prevent unauthorised disclosure).


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Information rights

The right of the individual to control the use of information about him or her, including information on financial status, health and lifestyle (i.e. prevent unauthorised disclosure).

Fair information practices: Set of principles governing the collection and use of information on the basis of U.S. and European privacy laws


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Privacy protection tools


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Property rights

Intellectual property: Intangible creations protected by law

Trade secret: Intellectual work or product belonging to business, not in public domain

Copyright: Statutory grant protecting intellectual property from getting copied for 28 years

Patents: Legal document granting the owner an exclusive monopoly on the ideas behind an invention for 20 years


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Property rights (cont…)

Ethical issues: Production of intellectual property

Social issues: Current intellectual property laws breaking down

Political issues: Creation of new property protection measures


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Property rights (cont…)

Computer crime: Commission of illegal acts through the use of a computer or against a computer system

Computer abuse: Commission of acts involving a computer that may not be illegal but are considered unethical


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Data Protection Act 1998

The Data Protection Act 1998 regulates how and when information relating to individuals may be obtained, used and disclosed.

Makes new provision for the regulation of the processing of information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information.


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Data Protection Act 1998 (cont…)

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires - "data" means information which

(a) is being processed by means of equipment operating automatically in response to instructions given for that purpose,

(b) is recorded with the intention that it should be processed by means of such equipment,

(c) is recorded as part of a relevant filing system or with the intention that it should form part of a relevant filing system, or

(d) does not fall within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) but forms part of an accessible record as defined by section 68


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The Act also allows individuals access to personal data relating to them, to challenge misuse of it and to seek redress.

Enforcement of the Act is through the Information Commissioner


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The Act places a duty on any person or organisation that holds personal information about living individuals on computer or in certain manual data systems (or has such information processed on computer by others)

Comply with the eight data protection principles and to notify the Commissioner about the processing carried out.


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The Act principles require personal data to be: fairly and lawfully obtained; held only for specific and lawful purposes and not

processed in any manner incompatible with those purposes;

adequate, relevant and not excessive for those purposes;

accurate and where necessary kept up-to-date, not kept for longer than necessary;

processed in accordance with the rights of the person to whom the data refers;

kept securely to ensure data is not lost, disposed of or misused;

not transferred out of the European Economic Area unless the destination has an adequate level of data protection.


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Data Protection Act 1998 (cont…) Data controller means, subject to subsection (4), a

person who (either alone or jointly or in common with other persons) determines the purposes for which and the manner in which any personal data are, or are to be, processed;

Data processor, in relation to personal data, means any person (other than an employee of the data controller) who processes the data on behalf of the data controller;

Data subject means an individual who is the subject of personal data;

Personal data means data which relate to a living individual who can be identified –

(a) from those data, or

(b) from those data and other information which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller


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Sensitive personal data: "sensitive personal data" means personal data consisting of information as to (a) the racial or ethnic origin of the data subject,

(b) his political opinions,

(c) his religious beliefs or other beliefs of a similar nature,

(d) whether he is a member of a trade union

(e) his physical or mental health or condition,

(f) his sexual life,

(g) the commission or alleged commission by him of any offence, or

(h) any proceedings for any offence committed or alleged to have been committed by him, the disposal of such

proceedings or the sentence of any court in such proceedings.


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Task

Find out from the Internet how organisations are

committed to protecting privacy information.

Discuss

Business

Lecture7(ethics&it use)