What is cybertechnology

What Is Cyberethics?

 Cyberethics is the study of moral, legal, and social issues involving cybertechnology.

 As a field of applied ethics, it:

 examines the impact that cybertechnology has for our social, legal, and moral systems.

 evaluates the social policies and laws that we frame in response to issues generated by the development and use of cybertechnology.

What Is Cybertechnology?

 Cybertechnology refers to a wide range of computing and communications devices

– from standalone computers, to "connected" or networked computing and communications technologies, to the Internet itself.

 Cybertechnologies include (but are not limited to):  digital hand-held devices (including PDSa);

 networked computers (desktops and laptops);

 stand-alone computers.

Cybertechnology (Continued)

 Networked devices can be connected directly to the Internet.

 They also can be connected to other devices through one or more privately owned computer networks.

 Privately owned networks include both:  Local Area Networks (LANs),

 Wide Area Networks (WANs).

Why the term cyberethics?

 Cyberethics is a more accurate label than computer ethics, which can suggest the study of ethical issues limited either to:

 computing machines,

 computing professionals.

 Cyberethics is also more accurate than Internet ethics, which is limited only to ethical issues affecting computer networks.

The Evolution of Cybertechnology and Cyberethics: Four Phases

 Computer technology emerged in the late 1940s, when some analysts confidently predicted that no more than six computers would ever need to be built.

 The first phase of computing technology (1950s and 1960s) consisted mainly of huge mainframe computers that were unconnected (i.e., stand-alone machines).

 One ethical/social question that arose during Phase 1 dealt with the impact of computing machines as “giant brains” and what that meant for being human.

 Another question raised during this phase concerned privacy threats and the fear of Big Brother.

The Evolution of Cybertechnology and Cyberethics (Continued)

 In Phase 2 (1970s and 1980s), computing machines and communications devices began to converge.

 Mainframe computers and personal computers could be linked together via privately owned networks such as LANs and WANs.

 Privacy concerns arose because confidential information could easily be exchanged between networked databases.

 Intellectual property issues emerged because personal computers could easily duplicate proprietary software programs.

 Computer crime was possible because people could break into the computers of large organizations.

The Evolution of Cybertechnology and Cyberethics (Continued)

 During Phase 3 (1990-present), the availability of Internet access to the general public has increased significantly.

 This has been facilitated by the phenomenal growth of the World Wide Web.

 The proliferation of Internet- and Web-based technologies in this phase has raised ethical and social concerns affecting:

 free speech,

 anonymity,

 jurisdiction.

The Evolution of Cybertechnology and Cyberethics (Continued)

 As cybertechnology evolves in Phase 4, computers will likely become more and more a part of who or what we are as human beings.

 James Moor (2005) notes that computing devices will soon be a part of our clothing, and even our bodies.

 Computers are already becoming ubiquitous, and are beginning to “pervade” both our work and recreational environments.

 Objects in these environments already exhibit what Philip Brey (2005) calls “ambient intelligence,” which enables “smart objects” to be connected to one another via wireless technology.

The Evolution of Cybertechnology and Cyberethics (Continued)

 In Phase 4, computers are becoming less visible as distinct entities, as they:  (a) continue to be miniaturized and integrated into

ordinary objects,

 (b) blend unobtrusively into our surroundings.

 Cybertechnology is also becoming less distinguishable from other technologies as boundaries that have previously separated them begin to blur because of convergence.

Table 1-1: Summary of Four

Phases of Cyberethics

Phase Time Period Technological Features Associated Issues

1 1950s-1960s Stand-alone machines (large mainframe computers)

Artificial intelligence (AI), database privacy ("Big Brother")

2 1970s-1980s Minicomputers and PCs interconnected via privately owned networks

Issues from Phase 1 plus concerns involving intellectual property and software piracy, computer crime, privacy and the exchange of records.

3 1990s-Present Internet and World Wide Web Issues from Phases 1 and 2 plus concerns about free speech, anonymity, legal jurisdiction, virtual communities, etc.

4 Present to

Near Future

Convergence of information and communication technologies with nanotechnology research and bioinformatics research, etc.

Issues from Phases 1-3 plus concerns about artificial electronic agents ("bots") with decision-making capabilities, bionic chip implants, nanocomputing research, etc.

Are Any Cyberethics Issues Unique Ethical Issues?

 Consider “The “Washingtonienne” scenario (in the textbook) involving Jessica Cutler.

 The scenario raises several interesting ethical issues – from anonymity expectations to privacy concerns to free speech, etc.

 But are any ethical issues raised in this scenario, or in blogging cases in general, unique ethical issues?

Are Any Cyberethics Issues Unique (Continued)?

 Review the Verizon v. RIAA scenario (described in the textbook) in light of the ethical issues that arise.

 The ethical issues in this scenario include concerns about privacy, anonymity, surveillance, and intellectual property rights.

 Are any of these issues new or unique ethical issues?

Are Any Cyberethics Issues Unique (Continued)?

 Review the Amy Boyer cyberstalking scenario (described in the textbook).

 Is there anything new or unique, from an ethical point of view, about the ethical issues that emerge in this scenario?

 On the one hand, Boyer was stalked in ways that were not possible in the pre-Internet era.

 But are any new or any unique ethical issues generated in this scenario?

Debate about the Uniqueness of Cyberethics Issues (Continued)

 There are two points of view on whether cybertechnology has generated any new or unique ethical issues:  (1) Traditionalists argue that nothing is new –

crime is crime, and murder is murder.

 (2) Uniqueness Proponents argue that cybertechnology has introduced (at least some) new and unique ethical issues that could not have existed before computers.

The Uniqueness Debate (Continued)

 Both sides seem correct on some claims, and both seem to be wrong on others.

 Traditionalists underestimate the role that issues of scale and scope that apply because of the impact of computer technology.  E.g., cyberstalkers can stalk multiple victims

simultaneously (scale) and globally (because of the scope or reach of the Internet).

 Cyberstalkers can also operate without ever having to leave the comfort of their homes.

The Uniqueness Debate (Continued)

 Those who defend the Uniqueness thesis tend to overstate the effect that cybertechnology has on ethics per se.

 Walter Maner (2004) correctly points out that computers are uniquely fast, uniquely malleable, etc.

 So, there may indeed be some unique aspects of computer technology.

The Uniqueness Debate (Continued)

 Proponents of the uniqueness thesis tend to confuse unique features of tcomputer echnology with unique ethical issues.

 Their argument is based on a logical fallacy: Premise. Cybertechnology has some unique technological

features.

Premise. Cybertechnology generates some ethical issues. ___________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion. (At least some of the) Ethical issues generated by cybertechnology must be unique.

The Uniqueness Debate (Continued)

 Traditionalists and uniqueness advocates are each partly correct.  Traditionalists correctly point out that no new

ethical issues have been introduced by computers.

 Uniqueness proponents are correct in that cybertechnology has complicated our analysis of traditional ethical issues.

The Uniqueness Debate (Continued)

 So we must distinguish between any:  (a) unique technological features;

 (b) (alleged) unique ethical issues.

 Consider two scenarios described in the textbook:  (1) computer professionals designing the software

code for a controversial computer system;

 (2) users making unauthorized copies of software.

Alternative Strategy for Analyzing the Uniqueness Issue

 James Moor (2000) argues that computer technology generates “new possibilities for human action” because computers are logically malleable.  Logical malleability in computers makes possible

new kinds of behavior for humans that introduce policy vacuums.

 Policy vacuums cannot easily be filled because of conceptual muddles.