Comprehensive Notes with Questions and Answers
1. Privacy
What is privacy in the context of IT?
Privacy refers to the right to control the collection, use, and sharing of personal data, which
has become a critical ethical concern with advancements in IT.
What are some concerns related to IT and privacy?
- Unregulated data collection
- Data matching leading to profiling
- Anonymity and unauthorized access.
How can privacy be legally protected?
Using directives like the European Directive on Protection of Personal Data and the Fair
Information Practice in the U.S.
2. Accountability and Responsibility
What is the difference between accountability and responsibility?
Accountability refers to being answerable for outcomes, whereas responsibility can be
delegated but not accountability.
What are the four types of responsibilities?
- Role Responsibility: Related to job duties.
- Causal Responsibility: Linked to actions causing consequences.
- Blameworthiness: Arises when someone fails their duty.
- Liability: Legal responsibility.
3. Professional Relationships
What are the key types of professional relationships?
- Employer-Employee: Mutual respect and loyalty are critical.
- Client-Professional: Trust and honesty are essential.
- Professional-Professional: Ethical behavior ensures the profession's reputation.
- Professional-Society: Balancing expertise with societal benefits.
What is loyalty in employer-employee relationships?
Treating an employer with special regard, but avoiding unethical loyalty such as concealing
product flaws.
4. Social Impact of IT
How has IT impacted society?
IT has revolutionized medical, educational, and business practices while also introducing
risks like data breaches.
What is the digital divide?
The gap between individuals with access to IT resources and those without, creating
inequalities in opportunities.
5. Ethics on the Internet
What are the characteristics of the internet influencing ethics?
- Global many-to-many communication
- Anonymity
- Reproducibility of data.
What are examples of unethical internet behaviors?
- Cyberstalking
- Flaming
- Credit card fraud
- Spamming.
6. Professional Practice Across Cultures
What is ethical relativism?
Ethical norms vary across cultures and time periods; there are no universal norms.
What is cultural relativism?
Ethical practices are shaped by cultural contexts, e.g., dietary customs and marital norms.
