Tuesday, 27 March 2012

Computer Ethics And Legal Issues : Ethics And Law

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DEFINITION OF ETHICS
In general, ethics is a moral philosophy where a person makes a specific moral choice and sticks to it. On the other hand, ethics in computing means moral guidelines to refer to when using the computer and computer networks. This includes the Internet.


DEFINITION OF LAW
Law is a legal system comprising of rules and principles that govern the affairs of a community and controlled by a political authority.

Law differs from one country to another. In the era of technology, computer law is needed to clarify goods or actions that fall under the computer law. Computer law refers to all areas in law that requires an understanding of computer technology such as hardware, software and Internet.

WHY DO WE NEED ETHICS AND LAW IN COMPUTING?
  • Respecting Ownership
  • Respecting Privacy
  • Respecting Property
RESPECTING OWNERSHIP
We must respect ownership by not stealing other people’s work either by duplicating or distributing it. Duplicating and distributing copies of audio tapes, video tapes and computer programs without permission and authorisation from the individual or company that created the program
are immoral and illegal.

RESPECTING PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
We should respect other people's privacy and confidentiality by refraining ourselves from reading their mails or files without their permission. If we do so, it is considered as violating an individual’s rights to privacy and confidentiality.

RESPECTING PROPERTY
Property here means ownership. Since an individual data and information are considered as property, therefore, an act of tampering and changing electronic information is considered as vandalism and disrespect for other people’s property.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ETHICS AND LAW
Both ethics and law are complimentary to each other and are made:
  • to guide user from misusing computers
  • to create a healthy computer society, so that computers are used to contribute to a better lifeto prevent any crime
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ETHICS AND LAWS

ETHICS
GUIDELINE
As a guideline to computer users.
MORAL STANDARDS
Ethical behaviour is judged by moral standards.
FREE TO FOLLOW
Computer users are free to follow or ignore the code of ethics.
NO PUNISHMENTS
No punishment for anyone who
violates ethics.
UNIVERSALS
Universal, can be applied anywhere,
all over the world.
PRODUCE ETHICAL COMPUTER USERS
To produce ethical computer users.
IMMORAL
Not honouring computer ethics means ignoring the moral elements (immoral).

LAW
CONTROL
As a rule to control computer users.
JUDICIAL STANDARDS
Law is judged by judicial standards.
MUST FOLLOW
Computer users must follow the regulations and law.
PENALTIES, IMPRISONMENTS 
AND OTHER PUNISHMENTS
Penalties, imprisonments and other
punishments for those who break the law.
DEPENDS ON COUNTRY
Depends on country and state where
the crime is committed.
PREVENT MISUSING OF COMPUTERS
To prevent misuse of computers.
CRIME
Not honouring the law means
committing a crime.


UNETHICAL VS. LAW BREAKING CONDUCTS

Unethical:
  • using the office computer to do personal things
  • reading your friend’s e-mail without his or her permission
  • plagiarising and using materials from the Internet for your class assignment without giving credit to the original author.
Law breaking:

  • sending a computer virus via e-mail
  • hacking into your school’s database to change your examination results.
  • selling pirated software in a night market
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