5.1 Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc. Management Information Systems, Second Canadian...

5.1Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Management Information Systems, Management Information Systems, Second Canadian EditionSecond Canadian Edition

Chapter 5: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in the Information AgeChapter 5: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in the Information Age

SOCIAL, LEGAL, AND SOCIAL, LEGAL, AND

ETHICAL ISSUES IN ETHICAL ISSUES IN

THE INFORMATION THE INFORMATION

AGEAGE




• What ethical, social, and political issues are What ethical, social, and political issues are raised by information systems?raised by information systems?

• Are there specific principles for conduct that Are there specific principles for conduct that can be used to guide decisions about ethical can be used to guide decisions about ethical dilemmas?dilemmas?

• Why does contemporary information Why does contemporary information systems technology pose challenges to the systems technology pose challenges to the protection of individual privacy and protection of individual privacy and intellectual property?intellectual property?

continued

OBJECTIVES




• How have information systems affected How have information systems affected everyday life?everyday life?

• How can organizations develop corporate How can organizations develop corporate policies for ethical conduct?policies for ethical conduct?

OBJECTIVES (continued)



Chapter 5: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in the Information AgeChapter 5: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in the Information AgeBT CELLNET TESTS THE WATERS FOR SPAMMING




1.1. Understanding the moral risks of new Understanding the moral risks of new technologytechnology

2.2. Establishing corporate ethics policies Establishing corporate ethics policies that include information systems issuesthat include information systems issues

MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES




EthicsEthics• Principles of right and wrongPrinciples of right and wrong

• Can be used by individuals acting as free Can be used by individuals acting as free moral agents to make choices to guide moral agents to make choices to guide their behaviourtheir behaviour

5.1 UNDERSTANDING ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO SYSTEMS




• Illustrates the dynamics connecting Illustrates the dynamics connecting ethical, social, and political issuesethical, social, and political issues

• Identifies the moral dimensions of the Identifies the moral dimensions of the “information society” across individual, “information society” across individual, social, and political levels of actionsocial, and political levels of action

A Model for Thinking about Ethical, Social, and Political Issues





• 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




Chapter 5: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in the Information AgeChapter 5: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in the Information Age5.1 UNDERSTANDING ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO SYSTEMS

Moral Dimensions of the Information Age




• Computing Power Doubles Every 18 Computing Power Doubles Every 18 Months:Months: Dependence on computer Dependence on computer systemssystems

• Rapidly Declining Data Storage Rapidly Declining Data Storage Costs:Costs: Easy maintenance of individual Easy maintenance of individual databasesdatabases

continued

Key Technology Trends that Raise Ethical Issues





• Datamining Advances:Datamining Advances: Analysis of Analysis of vast quantities of datavast quantities of data

• Networking Advances and the Networking Advances and the Internet:Internet: Remotely accessing personal Remotely accessing personal

datadata

Key Technology Trends that Raise Ethical Issues (continued)




Chapter 5: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in the Information AgeChapter 5: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in the Information Age5.1 UNDERSTANDING ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO SYSTEMS





• Responsibility:Responsibility:

– Accepting the potential costs, duties, Accepting the potential costs, duties, and obligations for decisionsand obligations for decisions

• Accountability: Accountability:

– Assessing responsibility for decisions Assessing responsibility for decisions made and actions takenmade and actions taken

continued

Basic Concepts: Responsibility, Accountability, and Liability

5.2 ETHICS IN AN INFORMATION SOCIETY




Basic Concepts: Responsibility, Accountability, and Liability (continued)

• Liability: Liability:

– Permits individuals to recover Permits individuals to recover damagesdamages

• Due Process:Due Process:

– Laws are well-known and Laws are well-known and understood, understood, with an ability to appeal with an ability to appeal to higher to higher authoritiesauthorities





• Golden Rule:Golden Rule: Do unto others as you Do unto others as you would have them do unto youwould have them do unto you

• Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative:Imperative: If an action is not right for If an action is not right for everyone to take, then it is not right for everyone to take, then it is not right for anyoneanyone

continued

Candidate Ethical Principles





• Descartes’ Rule of Change:Descartes’ Rule of Change: If an If an action cannot be taken repeatedly, then it action cannot be taken repeatedly, then it is not right to be taken at any timeis not right to be taken at any time

• Utilitarian Principle: Utilitarian Principle: Put values in rank Put values in rank order and understand consequences of order and understand consequences of various courses of actionvarious courses of action

continued

Candidate Ethical Principles (continued)





• Risk Aversion Principle: Risk Aversion Principle: Take the Take the action that produces the least harm or action that produces the least harm or incurs the least costincurs the least cost

• Ethical “No Free Lunch” Rule: Ethical “No Free Lunch” Rule: All All tangible and intangible objects are owned tangible and intangible objects are owned by creator who wants compensation for by creator who wants compensation for the workthe work

Candidate Ethical Principles (continued)





• Promises by professions to regulate Promises by professions to regulate themselves in the general interest of themselves in the general interest of societysociety

• Promulgated by associations such as the Promulgated by associations such as the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), and Canadian Bar Association (CBA), and Canadian Information Processing Society Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS)(CIPS)

Professional Codes of Conduct





Information Systems Used by Information Systems Used by Organizations to:Organizations to:

• Minimize drains on productivity by Minimize drains on productivity by reducing jobsreducing jobs

• Prevent wasting resources on non-Prevent wasting resources on non-business activities by monitoring business activities by monitoring employeesemployees

Some Real-World Ethical Dilemmas





Information Rights: Privacy and Freedom in the Internet Age

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

• Fair Information Practices(FIP); U.S. Fair Information Practices(FIP); U.S. (1973):(1973): Set of principles governing the Set of principles governing the collection and use of information; the basis collection and use of information; the basis of most North American and European of most North American and European privacy lawsprivacy laws

5.3 THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS




Privacy LegislationPrivacy Legislation• Charter of Rights and FreedomsCharter of Rights and Freedoms• Privacy Act, 1983Privacy Act, 1983• Access to Information ActAccess to Information Act• Personal Information Protection and Personal Information Protection and

Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), 2000Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), 2000• Provincial Legislation (except in PEI)Provincial Legislation (except in PEI)






Due Process Represented in CSA’s Due Process Represented in CSA’s Model Privacy Code:Model Privacy Code:



1.1. AccountabilityAccountability2.2. Identifying Identifying

PurposePurpose3.3. ConsentConsent4.4. Limiting Limiting

CollectionCollection5.5. Limiting Use, Limiting Use,

Disclosure, and Disclosure, and RetentionRetention

6.6. AccuracyAccuracy

7.7. SafeguardsSafeguards

8.8. OpennessOpenness

9.9. Individual AccessIndividual Access

10.10. Challenging Challenging ComplianceCompliance



Chapter 5: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in the Information AgeChapter 5: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in the Information Age5.3 THE MORAL DIMENSIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS





The European Directive on Data The European Directive on Data ProtectionProtection

• Informed Consent Informed Consent – Consent given with knowledge of all facts Consent given with knowledge of all facts

needed to make a rational decisionneeded to make a rational decision






Internet Challenges to PrivacyInternet Challenges to Privacy

• CookiesCookies– Tiny files deposited on a hard driveTiny files deposited on a hard drive– Used to identify the visitor and track visits Used to identify the visitor and track visits

to the Web siteto the Web site







Figure 5.4: How Cookies Identify Web Visitors





• 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 online Internet user Designed to monitor online Internet user

behaviorbehavior







• Opt-Out ModelOpt-Out Model

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

– Consumer specifically requests for the Consumer specifically requests for the data not to be collecteddata not to be collected







• Opt-In ModelOpt-In Model– Informed consent prohibiting an Informed consent prohibiting an

organization from collecting any personal organization from collecting any personal information information

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






Technical SolutionsTechnical Solutions

• 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






Ethical IssuesEthical Issues

• Under what conditions should the privacy Under what conditions should the privacy of others be invaded? of others be invaded?

• What legitimizes intruding into others’ What legitimizes intruding into others’ lives through unobtrusive surveillance, lives through unobtrusive surveillance, through market research, or by whatever through market research, or by whatever means?means?

continued






Ethical Issues Ethical Issues (continued)(continued)

• Do we have to inform people that we are Do we have to inform people that we are eavesdropping? eavesdropping?

• Do we have to inform people that we are Do we have to inform people that we are using credit history information for using credit history information for employment screening purposes?employment screening purposes?






Social IssuesSocial Issues

• Concerns the development of “expectations Concerns the development of “expectations of privacy” or privacy norms, as well as of privacy” or privacy norms, as well as public attitudespublic attitudes






Political IssuesPolitical Issues

• Concerns the development of statutes Concerns the development of statutes • Governs the relations between record Governs the relations between record

keepers and individualskeepers and individuals






• Intellectual Property:Intellectual Property: – Intangible property created by individuals or

corporations – Subject to protections under trade secret,

copyright, and patent law

• Trade Secret:Trade Secret:

– Intellectual work or product used for a business purpose

– Classified as belonging to individual or business– Not based on information in public domain

Property Rights: Intellectual Property





Supreme Court of Canada Test for Breach Supreme Court of Canada Test for Breach of Confidence:of Confidence:

1.1. Information conveyed must be Information conveyed must be confidential (not public knowledge)confidential (not public knowledge)

2.2. Information must have been Information must have been communicated in confidencecommunicated in confidence

3.3. Information must have been misused by Information must have been misused by the party to whom it was communicatedthe party to whom it was communicated






• Copyright:Copyright:

– Statutory grant protecting intellectual Statutory grant protecting intellectual property from getting copied for minimum property from getting copied for minimum of 50 yearsof 50 years

• Patents:Patents: – Legal document granting the owner an Legal document granting the owner an

exclusive monopoly on the ideas behind exclusive monopoly on the ideas behind an invention for 17 to 20 yearsan invention for 17 to 20 years






• Challenges to Intellectual Property Challenges to Intellectual Property RightsRights

– Internet makes it difficult to protect Internet makes it difficult to protect intellectual propertyintellectual property

– Mechanisms to copy and share digitized Mechanisms to copy and share digitized content (e.g., music, books)content (e.g., music, books)

– Framing of Web sitesFraming of Web sites






• DCMA (US, 1998)DCMA (US, 1998)– Makes it illegal to circumvent technology-Makes it illegal to circumvent technology-

based protections of copyright materialbased protections of copyright material

• In CanadaIn Canada– Policy being established to bring Canada Policy being established to bring Canada

into line with WIPO (World Intellectual into line with WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) treaty Property Organization) treaty






• Challenges to Intellectual Property Challenges to Intellectual Property RightsRights

– Ethical issues:Ethical issues: Should you copy for your own use a piece of software or other digital content that is protected by copyright, trade secret or patent?

– Social issues:Social issues: Current intellectual property laws breaking down

– Political issues:Political issues: Creation of new property protection measures






• Ethical Issues:Ethical Issues: Who is morally responsible Who is morally responsible for consequences of use?for consequences of use?

• Social Issues:Social Issues: What should society expect What should society expect and allow?and allow?

• Political Issues:Political Issues: To what extent should To what extent should government intervene and protect?government intervene and protect?

Accountability, Liability and Control





System Quality: Data Quality and System Errors

• Ethical Issues:Ethical Issues: At what point to release At what point to release the software/services for consumption?the software/services for consumption?

• Social Issues:Social Issues: Should people be Should people be encouraged to believe systems are encouraged to believe systems are infallible?infallible?

• Political Issues:Political Issues: Laws of responsibility Laws of responsibility and accountabilityand accountability





• Balancing Power: Balancing Power: – Centre versus periphery:Centre versus periphery: Key policy

decisions may remain centralized as in the past

• Rapidity of ChangeRapidity of Change– Reduced response time to competition:Reduced response time to competition:

Reduced normal social buffers that allowed time to adjust to competition, etc.

Quality of Life: Equity, Access, and Boundaries





• Maintaining Boundaries: Family, Maintaining Boundaries: Family, Work, and Leisure:Work, and Leisure: – ““Do anything anywhere” environment Do anything anywhere” environment

blurring boundaries between work and blurring boundaries between work and family timefamily time

• Dependence and Vulnerability:Dependence and Vulnerability:– No regulatory or standard-setting forcesNo regulatory or standard-setting forces






• Computer Crime:Computer Crime: Commission of illegal Commission of illegal acts through the use of a computer or acts through the use of a computer or against a computer systemagainst a computer system

• Computer Abuse:Computer Abuse: Commission of acts Commission of acts involving a computer that may not be involving a computer that may not be illegal but are considered unethicalillegal but are considered unethical






• Employment -Employment - Trickle-Down Trickle-Down Technology and Reengineering Job Technology and Reengineering Job Loss: Loss: – Causes millions of middle-level managers and

clerical workers to lose their jobs

• Equity and Access - Increasing Racial Equity and Access - Increasing Racial and Social Class Cleavages: and Social Class Cleavages: – Society of computer literate and skilled, versus

computer illiterate and unskilled– Digital Divide (disparities in access)






Health Risks: RSI, CVS, and TechnostressHealth Risks: RSI, CVS, and Technostress

• Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI)Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI)– Occupational disease – Muscle groups are forced through repetitive actions

with high-impact loads or thousands of repetitions with low impact loads

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)– Type of RSI – Pressure on the median nerve through the wrist’s

bony carpal tunnel structure produces paincontinued






Health Risks: RSI, CVS, and Technostress Health Risks: RSI, CVS, and Technostress (continued)(continued)

• Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) – Eyestrain condition – Related to computer display screen usage– Symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, and

dry and irritated eyes

• TechnostressTechnostress– Stress induced by computer use– Symptoms include aggravation, hostility toward

humans, impatience, and enervation






• Information rights and obligationsInformation rights and obligations

• Property rights and obligationsProperty rights and obligations

• Accountability and controlAccountability and control

• System qualitySystem quality

• Quality of lifeQuality of life

Management Actions: A Corporate Code of Ethics





SOCIAL, LEGAL, AND SOCIAL, LEGAL, AND

ETHICAL ISSUES IN ETHICAL ISSUES IN

THE INFORMATION THE INFORMATION

AGEAGE

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