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SESSION 5SESSION 5

ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUESETHICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES

IN THE DIGITAL FIRMIN THE DIGITAL FIRM

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Information rights and obligationsInformation rights and obligations

Property rightsProperty rights

Accountability and controlAccountability and control

System qualitySystem quality

Quality of lifeQuality of life

Moral Dimensions of the Information Age

UNDERSTANDING ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO SYSTEMS

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Computing power doubles every 18 months:Computing power doubles every 18 months: Dependence on computer systemsDependence on computer systems

Rapidly declining data storage costs:Rapidly declining data storage costs: Easy Easy maintenance of individual databasemaintenance of individual database

Datamining advances:Datamining advances: Analysis of vast quantities of Analysis of vast quantities of datadata

Networking advances and the Internet:Networking advances and the Internet: Remotely Remotely accessing personal dataaccessing personal data

Key Technology Trends that Raise Ethical Issues

UNDERSTANDING ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO SYSTEMS

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Information system being used byInformation system being used by

organizations to:organizations to:

• Increase productivity and reduce the size Increase productivity and reduce the size of its workforce to lower costsof its workforce to lower costs

• Monitor employees to prevent wastage of Monitor employees to prevent wastage of resources for non-business activitiesresources for non-business activities

Some Real-World Ethical Dilemmas

ETHICS IN AN INFORMATION SOCIETY

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Information Rights: Privacy and Freedom in the Internet Age

• Privacy:Privacy: Claim of individuals to be left alone, Claim of individuals to be left alone, free from surveillance or interference from other free from surveillance or interference from other individuals, organizations, or the stateindividuals, organizations, or the state

• Profiling:Profiling: understanding the customers’ understanding the customers’ interests and habits by tracking their habits and interests and habits by tracking their habits and routes they take to navigate through websites routes they take to navigate through websites and from one website to another. and from one website to another.

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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The European Directive on Data Protection

Informed consent: Informed consent: Consent given with Consent given with knowledge of all facts needed to make a knowledge of all facts needed to make a rational decisionrational decision

• U.S. businesses would be allowed to use U.S. businesses would be allowed to use personal data from EU countries if they personal data from EU countries if they develop privacy protection policies that meet develop privacy protection policies that meet EU standardsEU standards

Information Rights: Privacy and Freedom in the Internet Age

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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Opt-out modelOpt-out model

• Informed consent permitting the collection of Informed consent permitting the collection of personal information personal information

• Consumer specifically requests for the data Consumer specifically requests for the data not to be collectednot to be collected

Internet Challenges to Privacy

Information Rights: Privacy and Freedom in the Internet Age

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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Opt-in modelOpt-in model

• Informed consent prohibiting an organization Informed consent prohibiting an organization from collecting any personal information from collecting any personal information

• Individual has to approve information Individual has to approve information collection and usecollection and use

Internet Challenges to Privacy

Information Rights: Privacy and Freedom in the Internet Age

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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CookiesCookies

• Tiny files deposited on a hard driveTiny files deposited on a hard drive

• Used to identify the visitor and track visits to Used to identify the visitor and track visits to the Web sitethe Web site

Internet Challenges to Privacy

Information Rights: Privacy and Freedom in the Internet Age

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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Web bugsWeb bugs

• Tiny graphic files embedded in e-mail Tiny graphic files embedded in e-mail messages and Web pages messages and Web pages

• Designed to monitor on-line Internet user Designed to monitor on-line Internet user behaviorbehavior

Internet Challenges to Privacy

Information Rights: Privacy and Freedom in the Internet Age

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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P3PP3P

Platform for Privacy Preferences ProjectPlatform for Privacy Preferences Project

Industry standard designed to give users Industry standard designed to give users more control over personal informationmore control over personal information

Technical Solutions

Information Rights: Privacy and Freedom in the Internet Age

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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Technical Solutions

Information Rights: Privacy and Freedom in the Internet Age

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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Intellectual property:Intellectual property: Intangible creations Intangible creations protected by lawprotected by law

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

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

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

Property Rights: Intellectual Property

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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Ease of replication, ease of transmission, Ease of replication, ease of transmission, ease of alteration, compactness etc.ease of alteration, compactness etc.

Construction of web pages from different Construction of web pages from different sources; framingsources; framing

Challenges to Intellectual Property Rights

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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Who is accountable for the consequences of Who is accountable for the consequences of the use of information technologies?the use of information technologies?

““Booklike” software and software as a service Booklike” software and software as a service

Web sites vs. broadcasters and cable Web sites vs. broadcasters and cable television systemstelevision systems

Censorship: Govt. officials have supported Censorship: Govt. officials have supported taking steps to censor the content that is taking steps to censor the content that is transmitted over the net.transmitted over the net.

Accountability, Liability and Control

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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System Quality: Data Quality and System Errors

What is an acceptable, technologically What is an acceptable, technologically feasible level of system quality?feasible level of system quality?

Three sources of poor system Three sources of poor system performanceperformance

Software bugs and errorsSoftware bugs and errors

Facility failures caused by natural or other Facility failures caused by natural or other causescauses

Poor input data quality Poor input data quality

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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Balancing power center versus periphery:Balancing power center versus periphery: Key policy decisions centralized as in the pastKey policy decisions centralized as in the past

Rapidity of change- Reduced response Rapidity of change- Reduced response time to competition: time to competition: Reduced normal social Reduced normal social buffersbuffers

Maintaining boundaries: Family, work, and Maintaining boundaries: Family, work, and leisure: leisure: “Do anything anywhere” environment “Do anything anywhere” environment blurring boundaries between work and family blurring boundaries between work and family timetime

Quality of Life: Equity, Access, and Boundaries

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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Dependence and vulnerability: Dependence and vulnerability: Our life depends Our life depends incredibly on IS. However, no regulatory or standard-incredibly on IS. However, no regulatory or standard-setting forcessetting forces

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

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

Spamming, hacking, jamming (denial of service attacks)Spamming, hacking, jamming (denial of service attacks), malicious software, sniffing, spoofing, and pagejacking, malicious software, sniffing, spoofing, and pagejacking

Quality of Life: Equity, Access, and Boundaries

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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Employment-Employment- Trickle-down technology and Trickle-down technology and reengineering job loss: reengineering job loss: Causes millions of Causes millions of middle-level managers and clerical workers to middle-level managers and clerical workers to lose their jobslose their jobs

Equity and access- Increasing racial and Equity and access- Increasing racial and social class cleavages: social class cleavages: Society of computer Society of computer literate and skilled, versus computer illiterate and literate and skilled, versus computer illiterate and unskilledunskilled

Quality of Life: Equity, Access, and Boundaries

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

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Repetitive stress injury (RSI)Repetitive stress injury (RSI)Occupational disease Occupational disease

Computer vision syndrome (CVS)Computer vision syndrome (CVS)Eyestrain conditionEyestrain condition

TechnostressTechnostressStress induced by computer useStress induced by computer use

Health Risks

Quality of Life: Equity, Access, and Boundaries

THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS