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Intoduction to Cyber Ethics (What is cyber technology (wide range of…
Intoduction to Cyber Ethics
Why the term cyber ethics?
Cyber ethics is a more accurate label than computer ethics, which might suggest the study of ethical issues limited to computing machines, or to computing professionals.
It is more accurate than Internet ethics, which is limited only to ethical issues affecting computer networks.
What is cyber technology
wide range of computing and communications devices
hand-held devices (such as Palm Pilots), personal computers (desktops and laptops), mainframe computers, and so forth.
Network devices can be connected directly to the Internet.
They also can be connected to other devices through one or more privately owned computer networks.
Privately owned networks include both Local Area Networks (LANs) and Wide Area Networks (WANs).
Are Cyber ethics Issues Unique?
Consider the Amy Boyer case of cyber stalking in light of issues raised.
Boyer was stalked in ways that were not possible before cyber technology
Uniqueness Issue
Traditionalists
argue that nothing is new – crime is crime, and murder is murder.
underestimate the role that issues of scale and scope that apply because of the impact of computer technology.
Cyber stalkers can stalk multiple victims simultaneously (scale) and globally (because of the scope or reach of the Internet).
They also can operate without ever having to leave the comfort of their homes.
Uniqueness Proponents
argue that cyber technology has introduced (at least some) new and unique ethical issues that could not have existed before computers.
Alternative Strategy for Analyzing the Uniqueness Issue
James Moor (1985) argues that computer technology generates “new possibilities for human action” because computers are
logically malleable
.
Logical malleability, in turn, introduces
policy vacuums
.
Policy vacuums often arise because of
conceptual muddles.
Case Illustration of a Policy Vacuum: Duplicating Software
In the early
1980s
, there were no clear laws regarding the duplication of software programs, which was made easy because of personal computers.
A policy vacuum arose
Before the policy vacuum could be filled, we had to clear up a conceptual muddle