Computing ethics involves ethical dilemmas related to privacy violations through computer use. Norbert Weiner introduced the concept in the 1940s, predicting ethical and social issues with widespread computer use. Examples include monitoring employees’ work computers and using other people’s computers without permission. Violations of privacy also occur through tracking cookies, adware, and malware.
Privacy in computing ethics refers to the ethical dilemmas that computer users face in certain situations that may lead to another person’s privacy being violated through computer use. Ethics is a reference to a sense of right and wrong. The concept of ethics with regard to computers was introduced by Nobert Weiner, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the early part of the 1940s. During this period Weiner was involved in a project which led him to conclude that the development of computers and their widespread use would have opened the door to serious ethical and social issues. This gives an idea of the scope of privacy in cyber ethics.
An example of the application of privacy in cyber ethics is the monitoring of employees’ work computers. The question that arises here is whether it is fair for employers to surreptitiously monitor the activities of their employees in terms of how they use computers at work. Some people are of the opinion that the employee is on company time, using company computers and, as such, should only be engaged in company related activities. Others believe it is an ethical violation of employee privacy for the company to initiate procedures that involve spying on its employees. In this case, the answer to the dilemma regarding privacy enforcement in cyber ethics isn’t as clear-cut as some would like, because there are arguments for and against monitoring computers while employees are at work.
Another scenario where the privacy issue in cyber ethics might arise is the use of other people’s computers. When someone is using another person’s computer, simple morality requires that a person should not go through private items on the computer. Such behavior is definitely a violation of privacy in cyber ethics. Looking at items such as files saved on your computer which include pictures, documents and music would be an invasion of privacy.
A violation of privacy in cyber ethics also applies to sending tracking cookies, adware and malware to monitor how someone uses the Internet. Such programs are created to compile a log and analysis of the different websites visited online by an individual. These types of programs are mainly used by various companies and marketers to track a person’s computer usage for purposes including data collection and also to send specific advertisements to that user.
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