Technology: Friend or Foe? Thinking about Information Ethics

Cybercrime Virus-spreading – a small program that impairs or destroys the computer’s ability to function properly - often spread via Hacking/Cracking – breaking into/gaining unauthorized access into another computer or computer network – many hackers who break into commercial Web sites are looking for customers’ private financial data (identity theft)

Cybercrime continued… piracy -copying protected software without authorization -software companies claim to lose billions of dollars per year through illegal copying phishing – sending that looks like it comes from a legitimate source, such as a bank or software company, but is actually from a fraudulent source phishing

Cybercrime continued… Cyberstalking -harassing and terrorizing people, causing them to fear injury or harm Cyber pornography - Sexting Cyber pornography -producing and/or distributing pornography using a computer Cyberterrorism -unlawful attacks and threats of attack by terrorists against computers, networks, etc. to intimidate a govt. or its people Ethical question: To what extent should perpetrators of these types of crime be punished?

Plagiarism Intellectual Property - reflects the idea that this subject matter is the product of the mind or the intellect, and that IP rights may be protected by law in the same way as any other form of property.mind property Plagiarism has become a more prevalent issue with easy access to information via the Internet Many educational institutions now rely on plagiarism detection services for prevention plagiarism detection services Ethical question: How can plagiarism best be prevented?

Privacy One of the earliest ethical issues of concern due to ease with which computers can store and allow access to information New technologies make it possible for employers to monitor many aspects of their employees' jobs, especially on telephones, computer terminals, through electronic and voice mail, and when employees are using the Internet. Sensitive information, such as medical records, financial records, personal information are kept electronically Social networking sites allow users to exploit the privacy of others Ethical question: To what extent should our right to privacy be protected in a digital age?

Copyright Violation Copyright protection is the idea that the original creator of any work is the only person who has the right to make copies of the work distribute copies of the work perform the work publicly display the work publicly; make “derivative works”derivative works File Sharing – downloading music or video files, then posting them on a publicly accessible website for others to share - Violation! Word, Image, video, sound clip use – incorporating forms of media into presentations without permission or attribution – Violation!

Copyright cont. Copyright is immediately established when the author puts his/her work into a “fixed form” – no need to “apply” for copyright “Copyright Infringement” occurs when a person manipulates the work of another without the copyright owner’s permission Infringement is proven if 1. a work in question is “substantially similar” to the original 2. the accused infringer had access to the original work

Fair Use The idea of "Fair Use" is a defense against copyright infringement It allows limited copying of copyrighted works for educational and research purposes. In order for “fair use” to be valid, the following factors will be considered 1. the purpose of the use 2. the nature of the copyrighted work 3. the amount used in comparison to the whole work 4. the effect of the use on the potential market Ethical question: What responsibility do we bear to protect the copyright of others’ original work?

Social Networking Supporters of social networking Web sites say: Websites such as Facebook allow teenagers to socialize, make friends, share media with people they ordinarily would not approach. Social networking websites become a mode of expression and exploration; they allow teenagers to experiment with different interests, which benefits their social development. Communication reaches large audience quickly and simultaneously

Critics of social networking Web sites say: Sexual predators and pedophiles can access social networking websites too easily; Many pedophiles use such Web sites to entice teenagers to meet them in person; crimes such as rape and murder have been linked to teens using Facebook and similar sites Teens are using it as a venue for cyberbullying and displays of their own illegal acts, such as alcohol and drug use Teenagers spend too much time on social networking websites and can even become addicted

Cyberbullying Cyber bullying, which is sometimes referred to as online social cruelty or electronic bullying, can involve: Sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images; Posting sensitive, private information about another person; Pretending to be someone else in order to make that person look bad; Intentionally excluding someone from an online group (Willard, 2005). Cyberbullying can occur via: s, Instant messaging, Text or digital imaging messages sent on cell phones, Web pages, Blogs Chat rooms or discussion groups and Other information communication technologies.

How does cyber bullying differ from other traditional forms of bullying? --Cyber bullying can occur any time of the day or night; --Cyber bullying messages and images can be distributed quickly to a very wide audience; --Children and youth can be anonymous when cyber bullying, which makes it difficult (and sometimes impossible) to trace them;

Online Safety Tips Just because you can post just about anything out on the web, doesn’t mean you should Remain as anonymous as possible on the web. Here are some examples of private information that you should never give out on the Internet: full name home address phone number Social Security number passwords names of family members credit card numbers Photos

Don’t believe everything you see online If you get suspicious s, files, or pictures from someone you don’t know or trust, trash them Avoid chat rooms or discussion areas that look sketchy or provocative Do not give out your address online, don’t respond to junk mail, and use an filter Don’t let people goad you into online fights If you plan to meet someone you’ve met online, bring a friend or a parent, and encourage your acquaintance to bring theirs, too.

Digital Citizenship Respect, Educate, and Protect Respect yourself, respect others Law - Users need to understand that stealing or causing damage to other people’s work, identity, or property online is a crime. Educate yourself, connect with others Literacy - As new technologies emerge, learners need to learn how to use that technology quickly and appropriately. Digital Citizenship involves educating people in a new way— these individuals need a high degree of information literacy skills Protect yourself, protect others Safety - We need to have virus protection, backups of data, and surge control of our equipment. As responsible citizens, we must protect our information from outside forces that might cause disruption or harm.

Evaluating Reference Sources Deciding which reference source best suits your needs

1. Audience Who is the intended audience for this source? Is the material too complex or too basic? Audience = for whom the information is written

2. Authority Who is the author? Is he/she an expert in the field? What are his/her credentials? Are they listed? Authority = Expertise

3. Accuracy Is the information correct Does the author support what he/she is saying with proof? Are other authors providing similar information? Accuracy = correctness

4. Scope How thoroughly is the topic covered in the source? Does the source fulfill its intended purpose? Scope = extent of coverage

5. Bibliography Does the reference source list its sources of information? Has the author consulted other sources for information? Can the author prove that his/ her information is authentic/accurate? Bibliography = list of valid sources of information consulted

7. Timeliness When was the source published? How current is the information presented? Is the author using current sources of information? Timeliness = Currency