1. Ethical Issues in Information Technology By: Ronald F. White, Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy
College of Mount St. Joseph

2. Introduction
Do Computers pose new threats or do they complicate old threats?
Harm to Persons
Physical harm
Economic Harm
Fraud
theft
Slander
Harm to Property
sabotage
New Technologies always offer New Opportunities and Pose New Moral Issues
U.S. Mail
Printing Press
Photographic Technology
Radio Technology
Recording Technology
Telephone
Television

3. Issues Computer Technology and Harm Privacy Copyright Infringement
Computer Viruses
Child predators
Hucksters (fraud)
International Lotteries
Bank Fraud
E-Bay
Journalism
Blogs
Privacy
Computerized Data Bases (mailing lists)
Spam
Copyright Infringement
Software
Networks
Pictures
Music
Video
Role of Government
Stockholder Theory
Stakeholder Theory

4. Computer Technology and Harm Harm to Computers Harm to Children
Viruses
Hacking
Harm to Children
Predators
Economic Harm
Hucksterism

5. Privacy Issues Privacy Computerized Data Bases Spam Surveillance
Selling personal information without consent
Spam
Free Speech vs. Privacy
Surveillance
By employers
By Parents and Spouses
By Government

6. Intellectual Property
Issues
Persons and Property
Principle of Self Ownership
Property (things)
Patent law
Intellectual Property (ideas)
Copyright law-
Issues
Ownership of Ideas
Duration of copyright
Public Domain
Copyright=life of the author plus 70 years
What constitutes infringement-
Fair use
Direct Infringement-deliberate
Indirect Infringement-not deliberate
End-User Issues-e.g.guns
Circumvention Technologies
Economic Consequences
Social Consequences