Ethical Issues related to Information Systems

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Ethical Issues Related to IS Design and Use

• Group 11
• Group Members
• Muhammad Rashid (1046)
• Irfan Sarwar (1047)
• Ayaz Ahmad (1048)
• Azeem Adam (1049)
• Kashif (1050)
• Ali Raza (1051)
• Submitted To Prof.
  Inam-ul-Haq
• BS (HONS) I.T (Morning) 2nd Semester

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Table of Contents1. Introduction2.
Motivation3. Importance Scope4. Meaning of
Ethics5. Ethical Challenges6. Ethical Decision
Cycle7. Threat to Ethical Issues8. Findings9.
Conclusion10. References
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IntroductionInformation ethics has been
defined as the branch of ethics that
focuses on the Relationship between the
creation, organization, dissemination, and use
of information, And the ethical standards
and moral codes governing human conduct
in society. It provides a critical
frameworks for considering moral issues
concerning information Privacy, moral agency
(e.g. whether artificial agents may be
moral) Problems arising from the life cycle
(creation, collection, recording, distribution,
Processing etc.Some use off IS can be
considered unethical violations of privacy
or corrupt use Of network systems. For
example, access to bank account information
can lead to Theft, access to private
demographics can lead to unfair targeted
marketing Campaigns and access to medical
information can lead to discrimination
based on medical issues. For some kind of
IS , specially medical and financial systems,
accuracy Is an ethical issue. Holders of
these types of IS have duty to ensure
that the data In the system is up to
data and accurate. Inaccurate financial
information can lead to loss of capital
while inaccurate medical information can
lead to injury or death.
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MotivationSocial ethics are the
philosophical or moral principles that, in
one way or another, represent the collective
experience of people and cultures. Within a
society, the focus is usually more on what
may be considered appropriate behaviour of
People as a whole. In most places, companies
also abide by guiding social ethics Principles.
Part of the problem with universally
defining social ethics is that there are
many different elements that contribute to
them. Language, race, gender and culture all
come into the equation religion and
education also play a role. In order for
Societal standards to work in the face of
such differences, most Societies operate
under a majority rule system where what is
best for the most people becomes standard.
The rights and Interests of the majority
can only be enforced to the extent that
Others are not harmed.
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Importance and ScopeInformation is a source
of power and increasingly, the key to
prosperity among those with access to it.
Consequently developments in information
systems also involved social and Political
relationship and so make ethical
considerations in how Information is used
all the more important. Electronic systems
now reach into all levels of government,
into the work place, and into private
lives to such an extent that even people
without access to these systems are
affected in significant ways by them. New
ethical and legal decisions are necessary
to Balance the needs and rights of every
one.
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Meaning Of EthicsEthics are moral choices
made by individuals in relation to the
rest of the community, standards of
acceptable behaviour and rules governing
members of a profession. Ethics are
principles and rules concerning duty to
society, Profession and business. Ethics is
about how we ought to live. The Purpose of
ethics in information system is not
philosophical or Academic, it can mean the
survival of a business or industry. The Issues
relating to electronic information systems
include control of and access to
information, privacy and misuse of data.
Issues of the ethics and privacy always
been there even when computerized
Environments were in there natal phase.
However with the advancement in technology,
the issues have grown sophisticated and
so are the remedies.
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Ethical ChallengesInformation system
security association of USA has listed down
following ethical challenges-1.
Misrepresentation of certifications, skills 2.
Abuse of privileges3. Inappropriate
monitoring.4. Withholding information.5.
Divulging information inappropriately.6.
Overstating issues.7. Conflicts of interest.8.
Management/employee/client issues
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Privacy and EthicsWhenever one has to
talk of privacy, Ethics is the second half
of it. It wont be wrong to say that
privacy may nothave been an issue had it
on been linked with the ethical view a
society has. There are certain aspects
which we put together formulate a set of
Ethical Issues. These are as follows1.
Privacy issues2. Accuracy issues3. Property
issues4. Accessibility issues
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1. Privacy issuesFollowing aspects should
be covered when privacy is dealt with What
kind of surveillance should be used by an
employer on an employee? What things can
be keep to themselves and not be forced
to reveals to others? What information
about individuals should be kept in
database and how secure is the Information
there issues of Data Protection.What can
be revealed to others about oneself if
one is required to do so?
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2. Accuracy issuesFollowing are the some
accuracy issuesHow can we ensure that
information will be processed and presented
properly?Is there any track of errors,
omissions made in the database and who has
made them at what time?Who is to be
held accountable for the changes made in
database Or unauthorized, intentional or
unintentional, whether authorized?
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Ethical Decision cycleWhen we make the
ethical decisions we got to consider many
elements like the nature essence of the
act, The consequences of the action or in
the action parties involved, The fair-reaching
consequences of the action or inaction of
the organization, community, community, and
society. The ethical decision cycle consist
of different stages they are act, evaluation
of alternatives, action (decision), outcome and
organizational and societal feedback, all
this link in a cycle.Knowledge Management
ethical issue in business environment The
knowledge management plays an important role in
business environment. In organization gathering
and sharing of knowledge plays a vital
role and in doing that ethical issues are
raised.
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Ethical ThreatsIn knowledge management
ethical issues playsa major role, ethical
means attaining benefits by maintaining
standards. Knowledge managementinvolves many
ethical issues however here isthe main
four ethical issues in a business
environment. Those are privacy, accuracy,
property and accessibility.PrivacyMaintaining
the information safe and securely and only belong
to themselves. That information should not reveal
to other. Are they maintaining the safeguards to
protect the information? What information is
very important to our business to keep as
secret and they want reveal to others?
Privacy has the right of control individual to
control information themselves.
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Ethical Threats (contt.)AccuracyBusiness
organization must check out the information
accuracy fidelity and authentication
responsibilities. If there are any errors
they have check out to those ones. Accuracy
is an issue which has to maintain the
quality of data in terms of reducing
errors. Meanwhile we have to know how the
errors occurred and how we can minimize the
problem.PropertyThe information owner has
to reveal the fair prices of exchange of
data. Who has the ownership of knowledge is a as
a valued asset. Both the employer and
employees faces a lot of questions regarding
ethical behaviour of property issue.
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Ethical Threats (contt.)AccessibilityIt
mainly concerns about the knowledge employees and
managers. This issue includes access privileges.
Who is going to access this and what type
of access is being allowed.
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Ethical Threats (contt.)FindingsInformation
is a source of power. Consequently development
in Information systems also involve social
and political relationships- and so make
ethical Considerations in how information is
used all the more important. Electronic
system now reach into all levels of
government, into the workplace, and into
private lives to Such an extent that even
people without excess to these systems are
affected in Significant ways by them. Now
ethical and legal decisions are necessary to
balance the needs and rights of everyone.
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ConclusionAnalyse the relationships among
ethical, social, and political issues that
are raised by information system. Identify
the moral dimensions of an information
society and specific principles for conduct
that can be used to guide ethical
decisions. Evaluate the impact of
contemporary information systems and the
internet on the Protection of individuals
privacy and intellectual property.1. Assess
how information systems have affected everyday
life.2. Copyright laws.3. Health and safety.
4. Changing nature of work.5. Accuracy of data
and information.6. Information System.7. Data
incorrectly analysed. 8. Privacy principles.
9. The freedom of information act. 10. Access
to data, owner ship and control of data.
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References www.ehow.com/info-7557468_ethical-iss
ues-information-systems.htmwww.ethical-issues/im
portance of ethics in IS ltlt ckbooks online-free
onlinehttp//www.colorao.edu/geography/gcraft/no
tes/ethics/ethics-f.html.http//www.teachrepubli
c.com/article/10-ethical issues-confronting-it-man
agers/http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/information-
ethics