Information Ethics Defined

The subject of Information Ethics covers three broad categories:

1) Information technology development, including technological innovation and engineering professionalism, development and infrastructure processes, and the impact of IT on persons, organizations and global communication;

2) Access and education, including concerns about the implementation and integration of information and communications technology. The social impact of ICT must be responsibly evaluated in order to determine the effects on education, politics, economics and human rights. Bridging the digital divide and providing affordable and convenient access are primary concerns.

3) Legal and policy issues, including intellectual property and copyright, rights to privacy, protection, and freedom of speech and press, the role of surveillance and data mining, regulation and control, filtering, criminal activity, hacking, etc. influence how information is regarded and used.

The following recommended sites offer authoritative resources for considering the philosophical foundations of ethical electronic information creation, access, and use:

• A Short Webliography on Computer Ethics for Philosophers

• Resources on Computer and Ethics

Information Ethics Problems