Ethical Issues in Cyberspace

By: Paz I Lucido, Ph.D.

At the end of the Module , the learner should be able to:

Explain what cyberspace means; Cite at least three ethical issues in the use of

cyberspace; Take an informed stand on the issue on

cyberspace as boon or bane; and Describe efforts at cyberspace protection.

Ethics is a philosophical science drawn from man’s consciousness of what is wright and wrong.

Through centuries, ethical norms have been translated into customs and laws of society.

Ethics and laws naturally vary as cultural traditions govern individual societies.

Introduction:

As the world has awakened to

digital consciousness and the

innovations, the reality of

cyberspace or the global computer

network inclusive of the internet,

has opened ethical issues.

In opening electronic mail,

modern man, using the internet

as his new means of

communication, finds messages

which not only invade his

privacy but may be misleading

and exploiting.

Understanding Cyberspace

The space which shrouds the earth is electrically charged. The streak of lightning in our skies shows the powerful, often destructive, electrical energy around us. However, man the fashioner, has learn to tap natural resources like fire, air for his benefit. Therefore, man has enlivened his cities with light, supply potable water to homes, and has tapped the air for leisure, travel and communication.

Wireless Radio, Cable Television, and Internet sites are the boon of modern age which utilized the boundless cyberspace.

So far, not everything is clearly right and wrong with the use of cyberspace. It appears that modern man has the right to use cyberspace for his own advantage, while he is also obliged not to infringe on other peoples rights over the same virtual privileged.

Therefore those who invade cyberspace privacy, security and intellectual property rights appear generally to be in the wrong period. Also, specific issues such as hacking, spamming, unwanted messages, extorting money from innocent internet users, using the web for commercial sex, etc. call for more incisive assessment so that law and order can be installed in virtual space. Owing to destructive negative impacts of information and communication technology, clarification on “right” and “wrong” needs.

The Positive Role of Information and

Communication TechnologyInformation and communication technology or the

ICT has a central role in commerce, industry, government, medicine, education, entertainment and society in large. The economic and social benefits derivable from the ICT are so vast that they continue to increase as technological innovations briskly advance. Cable televisions has allowed homes to have access to television programs worldwide, use the web-camera for person-to-person visual contact with friends and business colleagues, get published through blogs and web sites, get online jobs as writers or encoders.

3 Main Types Issues with Ethical Implications

Personal Privacy

Right to Access

Harmful Actions

Personal Privacy

In terms of personal privacy, modern man is able to exchange information and communicate wide scale instantaneously and on a wide scale throughout the world. In this situation, affront on privacy is possible depending on technology expertise by privacy intruders.

Unethical and Illegal Practice Examples

Illegal Information: Fraudulent information, violation of privacy, false rumors, obscene information, libelous information, civil rights violation, gambling information.

Prejudicial Information: False rumors, drug information, sex information, violent information.

Infringement on Privacy and Security: e.g. The publication of the topless photograph of the Duchess of Cambridge which was in the news recently.

An illustration of a broad classification of various activities that are unethical and illegal in cyberspace:

Efforts at Cyberspace Protection

In order to protect users from people eavesdropping on private information computer developers have proposed intrusion-detection systems which can detect any illegitimate use of an information site or system. Both the national communities and the international community have also given attention to comprehensive protection laws, an example of which are recent cyberspace bill introduced by Sen. Edgardo Angara in the Philippine Senate.

Conclusion:

1. Cyberspace is used to describe the virtual world of computers. For example, an object in cyberspace refers to a block of data floating around a computer system or network of computers . So, after sending an email to your friend you could say you sent the message to her through cyberspace.

2. Cyberspace is both a boon and a curse. It is delivering untold benefits to individuals, businesses, government and society as a whole. But it is also tool and a target for those with more evil intensions.

3. A lot of measure have been introduced to protect ICT users.

Thank You!

Prepared by:

Pasuhil, Ella Mae V

Pazo, Zyra

Peteros, Ailyn

Pudi, Grace