What Is Computer Ethics?

Date First Published: 16th January 2024

Topic: Computer Systems

Topic: Ethics & Sustainability

Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Easy

Difficulty Level: 3/10

CONTENTS

Ethical Issues

Learn about what computer ethics is in this article.

Computer ethics is a set of moral principles and procedures regarding the use of computing technology. It addresses the moral and ethical issues that arise from the use of computing technology and how they can be prevented. As technology advances, computers and the internet have an increasing impact on society.

Ethical Issues

Examples of ethical issues when using computers are:

Internet privacy - A lot of information is shared online and privacy is becoming an issue. Personal information, including email addresses, telephone numbers, physical addresses, and private photos and videos, can be shared online without people's permission. This is especially true on social media sites where posts and pages are often public and viewable to anyone.
Online behaviour - The anonymity of online communication has led to problems with online behaviour. For example, people can sometimes send threatening or abusive messages to others. Netiquette attempts to resolve these issues.
Freedom of speech - Websites set guidelines for what is allowed and what is not allowed. Some types of content, such as videos that contain offensive content and opinions that others find offensive might be deleted. Some people feel like it is a violation of their freedom of speech and should be able to express their opinions online without being censored.
Acceptable use - The use of IT systems has led to concerns over acceptable use. For example, employees may become distracted by viewing personal social media when using IT systems in a workplace, causing a drop in productivity. An acceptable use policy is a document that contains a list of allowed and prohibited activities for employees, students, and other people using the network in the organisation.
Environmental - Technology has had an impact on the environment. The constant need to update IT systems has led to increasing amounts of technotrash in landfills every year. The increased demand for electronic devices has also increased manufacturing output and increased the amount of energy needed to use those devices.
Copyright - The use of IT systems has led to copyright violations when reproducing people's content without permission. With the growth of the internet and IT systems, copyright violations have increased. This is unethical and can cause financial losses to individuals and businesses.
Unequal access - Not everyone has the same level of access to IT. Digital technology has created a division and unequal access to information and resources amongst the world population. The digital divide has led to people from poorer backgrounds or households being disadvantaged.
Computer misuse - Computers can be misused to do harm to them and the data they contain. Gaining access to computer systems without permission (hacking) is an unethical way to gain access, which could cause harm to the person hacked. Intentionally spreading a virus onto a computer system would be ethically wrong as it is harming the IT system, which will impact on the owner.
Health and safety - There are ethical issues on the health and safety of workers from poor posture, eye strain, cables in the way, and back pain. This could negatively affect someone's ability to work. Failing to take health and safety seriously could lead to injury to individuals.