Ethics & Information Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethics & Information Technology - Essay Example The ethical dilemmas manifest the need to make ethical and legal decisions to guarantee the rights and satisfy the needs of all technology users and the public. This has led to establishment of information technology policies that guides the access, use, and transmission of information technology in the society. Any violation of the policies defines unethical behavior in information technology. However, the advancements in technology allow users to gather, store, manipulate, and communicate technological information, which defines a revolution in the use and dissemination of information that creates ethical dilemmas (Lynch 1). In addressing the ethical dilemmas, information ethics seeks to establish an ethical background that will enhance fair, equitable, and responsible practices with reference to access, privacy, security, and ownership. Nevertheless, it is difficult to develop a specific code of ethics in information technology due to its dynamic nature (Berzai 1). Maner notes, â€Å"That the involvement of computers in human conduct can create entirely new ethical issues, unique to computing, that do not surface in other areas† (4). The most dominant ethical problems in IT include ownership disputes, cybercrime, data theft, and hacking, viral infection, unauthorized access to data, hardware, and software, responsibility for computer failure, and inefficiency (Be rzai 1). Notably, computer ethics is significant and interesting since computers play special roles in modern society. James H. Moor defines computer ethics as â€Å"the analysis of the nature and social impact of computer technology and the corresponding formulation and justification of policies for the ethical use of such technology† (1). In absence of computer technology, we would not have computer ethics in the society. Indeed, computer ethics focuses on personal and societal