Computer Ethics and Legal Issues : Controversial Content

CONTROVERSIAL CONTENT

A controversial content is information that causes disagreement in opinions and may cause the disruption of peace because different people or culture will have different views about the contents.

ISSUES ON CONTROVERSIAL CONTENTS

The issues on controversial contents are always focusing on pornography and slander. Malaysia considers pornography and slander as illegal.

Pornographic and slanderous activities can be in the forms of plots and actions displayed on video games, controversial rhythm or lyrics of music, controversial contents of books and controversial issues on religion and philosophy.

Pornography Creative activity (writing or pictures or films etc.) of no literary or artistic value other than to stimulate sexual desire.

Slander Oral communication of false statements injurious to a person's reputation.

A false and malicious statement or report about someone.

PORNOGRAPHY

What is pornography?  Why is pornography considered “negative” content?

Both pictures are very cute pictures of innocent babies. Neither can be considered pornographic by normal standards.

DEFINITION OF PORNOGRAPHY

The definition of pornography is any form of media or material (like books or photographs) that depicts erotic behaviour and is intended to cause sexual excitement.

Pornography tends to exploit men, women and children in a distasteful manner.

SLANDER

Slander is another example of controversial content.

Slander is a legal term for false and malicious statement (meaning knowing that it is false, or “reckless disregard” that it was false) about someone.

Examples :

You wrote an e-mail that a fellow classmate was having an affair with a teacher, even though it was not true. You then sent it to five other friends.

Ahmad is a muslim. One day, he received a “spam” e-mail stating that his favourite soda drink “Soda Moda” uses non-halal food colouring, but he does not know if the source of the content is credible or true.  He decides to forward the e-mail to 50 of his friends.

Chin Wei spreads a rumour that a Government Minister is receiving bribes from an enemy government.

IMPACTS ON MALAYSIAN SOCIETY

What can you conclude about the impact of controversial content on the Malaysian society?

Pornography

• can lead to criminal acts such as exploitation of women and children
• can lead to sexual addiction or perversion
• can develop low moral value towards other men, women or children
• can erode good religious, cultural and social beliefs and behaviour

Slander

• can develop into a society that disregards honesty and truth 
• can develop bad habit of spreading untruths and rumours
• can lead to unnecessary argument
• can cause people to have negative attitudes towards another person
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  Others Lesson : | click lesson to view |
  
• Define Computer Ethics, Code of Ethics, Intellectual Property, Privacy, Computer Crime and Cyber Law.
• Differentiate between ethics and law.
• State the need for intellectual property laws
• List ways to protect privacy.
• State authentication and verification methods/ technologies
• List Controversial Content and effects of controversial contents on society
• Describe the process of filtering to control access to controversial contents
• Explain the need for Cyber Law
• Explain briefly the computer crimes
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