Systems and Ethics

8/14/2019 Systems and Ethics

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Systems and EthicsSystems and Ethics


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y Ethics is a key concern in information

because of many ways ones action i

can affect other people.

yDistinctions between Ethical and legal issues.

Ethics Laws and regulatio

What is the basis? Customs and

beliefs.

A combination of

societys consens

Practical issues-en

historical precede

laws.

Who is the judge? Individuals Judges appointed.

What is the price

of

nonconformance?

Criticism or

ostracism

Legal penalties suc

sentences.

Does it have Ma differ Ma differ from soc


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Ethical dilemmasEthical dilemmas

y The supervisor of telephone attendan

received complaints and is considerin

listening in attendants conversation t

service.

y A manager under severe competitive

thinking of installing a new computer

that will eliminate the job of five peop

y A programmer in a software firm is di

the way a new information system ha

and is considering telling his manage

system should not be distributed to c

even though it has no bugs.


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Ethical theoriesEthical theoriesy Three common ethical theories:-

Maximize the overall good. This theory says tchoose to act in ways that maximize the overall g

Example- manager deciding whether to install a

displace five people only practical strategy for c

survival.

Maximize personal good. This theory says peochoices that maximize their own personal outcom

telephone attendant case, the supervisor might u

justify listening on telephone conversations.

Treat others well. This theory resembles the bib

towards others as you would have them act towa

Example- someone following this theory might fe

appropriate to lie, whereas someone trying to ma

good might feel lying could be justified depending


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y Over time, societies and organizations grad

negotiated guidelines for what constitutes et

in those environments and what happens w

guidelines are broken.

y Major professional societies involved in info

systems have issued codes of ethics for the

y These ethical issues are organized under he

Privacy.

Accuracy.

Property.

Access.


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PrivacyPrivacy

y Information systems have impact on two types of p

Physical Privacy.

Information Privacy.

y Physical Privacy Information technologies provi

opportunities to intrude on others. Example Com

phone calls at dinner time. Electronic junk mail.

A variety of state and federal laws and regulations protect ph

Caller ID is controversial because it raises questions about w

the caller or person called.

Increasing number of people simply dont answer their teleph

who is calling.


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Information PrivacyInformation Privacy

y

Most people feel that they should not be monitor

y They should not have to divulge personal inform

y Personal information provided should be treated

y However, no specific provision in constitution giv

y Idea of privacy was less prominent in Japans tra

Widespread use of computers and computerized

privacy a much broader issue than in past.


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Toysmart.com case

y During bankruptcy proceedings solicited bids

customer names, addresses and credit card nu

y Federal Trade Commission intervened, as it v

assurances to customers their registered informa

be shared.

New York State sells a drivers personal data inclu

weight , driving record, license revocations, vehi

accident and police reports.

y There is considerable question How much and W

about an individual should be available through

information service.

y

There is no way to guarantee the information in protected from someone intending to use it for a

inappropriate purpose.

Information PrivacyInformation Privacy


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Code of Information Practices

Five principles of a Code of Fair Information P

to databases :-

y There must be no personal record-keeping system

existence is secret.

y There must be a way for an individual to find out w

about him is on record and how it is being used.

y There must be a way for an individual to correct or

identifiable information about him.

y There must be a way for an individual to prevent in

that was obtained for one purpose from being used

without his consent.

y Any organization creating, maintaining, using or d

of identifiable personal data must assure the reliab

their intended use and must take reasonable preca

misuse of the data.


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AccuracyAccuracy

y Issue of information accuracy involve much

question about data errors.

y Bias becomes an ethical issue when relevan

knowingly suppressed or misrepresented.

y Suppression of information Executives of

admitted that publication of a company stud

addictiveness of cigarettes was suppressedy Misrepresentation of information Agricultu

gave milk industry a dispensation allowing t

fat label with 2% fat, while other products d

y Acceptance of misleading information becau

Machines used by government to identify lonicotine cigarettes puff the cigarettes in a

much less tar and nicotine. This was known

one did anything about it.


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Storage of personal data in computerized

and additional dimension to the accuracy i

y Harm that may occur when data in these databa

Horror stories of people not being able to transact

y Problem of identity theft -

In which a criminal obtains a victims social security

credit information.

He uses the victims name to commit fraud.

AccuracyAccuracy


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y Stealing a blank video tape orvideo tape and copying it are of property. But latter not contheft.

y Physical things, if you give it tis no longer with you. Computlike movies, music, software emake millions of copies and dand still own.

y Databases, music and video cstored, transmitted and reformvariety of ways. Thus issues crights to intellectual property g

PROPERTYPROPERTY


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y Examples of legal issues concerning inteproperty rights. Copying and modification of creative w

artists.

Posting of decryption software on the wthe security system of DVD movies and punauthorized viewing, copying and online

Cybersquatting. Registering a popular win order to sell it later to someone who wa(www.worldwrestlingfederation.com whichoriginal www.wwf.com).

Unauthorized framing of material on info from other website and pasting on youmodifications, so that it looks like your ow

Hiring employees to obtain trade secrets oemployers.

PROPERTYPROPERTY


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PROTECTIONOFINTELLECTUAL PRIGHTS

y Copyright Laws: Protects the literaof an idea, not the idea itself for theplus 50 years. (Intellectual propertyneeds to be disclosed).

y Patent Laws: Protects for 17 yearsor discoveries having distinguishingare innovative, useful and not obvio(Intellectual property protected needisclosed).

y Trade Secrets Laws: Trade secretprotected by contracts designed to

confidentiality.

PROPERTYPROPERTY


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Practical shortcomingsy Intellectual properties are bein

developed in months rather thy Mrs Fields Cookies staff sc

system: How does she enforce the paten

Its a common phenomenon. Hosomeone know that such a pate

yAmazon.com sued Barnes &

infringing on its patent for Onshopping.

PROPERTYPROPERTY


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y 03 things needed in an inform

society:

Intellectual skills to deal with info

Access to information technolog

Access to information.

y The explosion in access to inf

and information technology ha

uniformly distributed. Some p

much more access than other

impact on employment opport

satisfaction, power in organiz

ACCESSACCESS


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y Intellectual Skills:A skilled machinist wyears of quality experience finds it difficCNC machines.

y Access to Information Technology: For handicapped persons:

x Voice recognition tools.

xScreen magnification.

x Braille printers.

y Access to Information: People need info to participate in econom

Disparity between haves and have nots is

Should pornography exist on web.

Individuals should have free access to infohimself (credit history) rather than purchasagency.

Very important to recognize such ethical

ACCESSACCESS


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