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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
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