Ethical Use of Computers

Overview of Ethical Use of Computers in relation to cyber crime: [1]Computer/cyber ethics is a critical issue in modern societies in which millions of people now use many types of IT devices in their everyday lives. Cybercrime statistics along with an increasing number of research studies indicate that young people as well as adults do not behave ethically online, and that, beginning with a person’s earliest exposure to computers, he can easily become a victim and victimizer of other people. Academic misconduct, piracy, cyber bullying, and other forms of online abuse and cybercrime cause harm in various ways, but what is considered responsible use of IT devices and information systems varies among people and situations. Not everyone, for example, believes that pirating music is wrong, even though it is illegal: while many young people would never think of stealing a music CD from a store in a shopping mall, they will use peer-to-peer networks to illegally download songs without paying to do so. What do you think about this issue? Can you think of other cybercrime issues or online behaviors that are controversial?

Resources

Notes and References

1. By Andrew Perry

Bynum, Terrell Ward, and Simon Rogerson. (2003). Computer Ethics and Professional Responsibility. New York: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing; Computer and Technology Ethics Case Studies at Vanderbilt University Center for Ethics Web site: (internet link) vanderbilt.edu/CenterforEthics/cases.html; Computer Usage Policy of the University of Virginia Web page: https://itc.virginia.edu/policy/ ethics.html; Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility Web site: https:// (internet link) cpsr.org/issues/ethics/cei; Editorial Board of the Stanford University Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2001 onward), at https://plato.stanford.edu/board.html; Johnson, Deborah G. State of New Jersey Department of Education Web site: https:// (internet link) nj.gov/education/techno/htcrime/info.htm.

Ethical Use of Computers

Ethical Use of Computers