Chapter 12: Digital Society, Ethics, and Globalization

1. Chapter 12:Digital Society, Ethics, and Globalization

2. 2 Objectives Describe how technology is affecting the definition of community, and list some physical and mental health dangers associated with excessive computer use Describe the negative and positive impact of technology on freedom of speech, and list forms of speech and expression that are censored on the Web

3. 3 Objectives Explain the ways in which technology is used to invade personal privacy, and provide examples of laws that protect citizens from privacy invasion List ethical issues related to digital technology that confront individuals in personal and professional life, businesses, and governments Explain what globalization is, what forces are behind it, and how it is affecting the United States and other nations

4. Chapter Content Living Online Freedom of Speech Privacy Issues Ethics and Social Responsibility Globalization 4

5. Introduction Digital technologies have changed our lives Communication Access to information Commerce Work environments Leisure These changes have benefits, but they also have costs 5

6. Living Online Virtual space An environment that exists in the mind rather than in physical space People find virtual space In a daydream In a book In a movie On a cell phone On the Internet 6

7. Computers and Community Flash mob Group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, do something unusual, and then disperse Participants are given precise instructions by e-mail and text messaging on where to meet, how to act, and what to say if questioned Virtual communities and “Anywhere, anytime” communications Spontaneous social mechanism Courtesy and etiquette Social Web sites 7

8. Computers and Community 8

9. Computers and Community

10. Health Issues: Keeping a Balance Physical health concerns Repetitive stress injury (RSI) Injury such as tendonitis and tennis elbow, caused by a repetitive motion “Blackberry thumb” Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) Aggravation of the pathway for nerves that travel through the wrist (the carpal tunnel) Typically caused by long hours at the computer keyboard Vision problems 10

11. Health Issues: Keeping a Balance 11

12. Health Issues: Keeping a Balance Internet addiction compulsive use of the Internet that interferes with normal daily life and relationships May exist if people are online for long periods of time Cannot control their online usage Jeopardize their career or family life from excessive Internet usage Lie to family, friends, and coworkers about Internet usage Category E-shopping addiction Compulsive gambling Gambling is one of the Internet’s biggest businesses Internet is easier than getting to the casino social networking addictions Information overload and stress Working with computers can lead to fears Job insecurity, loss of control, incompetence, demotion 12

13. Health Issues: Keeping a Balance 13

14. 14 Health Issues: Keeping a Balance Avoiding Health Problems Ergonomics Study of designing and positioning work environment and computer equipment in a healthy manner Designs of slope of the keyboard, keyboard height (elbow height), computer tables, display screens Live a balanced life

15. Freedom of Speech First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Guarantees citizens the right to free speech Internet Used to espouse the views and beliefs of every religious and political group Web sites May include points of view that many find offensive and even dangerous 15

16. Challenging the Establishment and Traditional Institutions Bloggers Are becoming an increasingly important component in journalism contributed to the abrupt resignation of CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan when they created a “blogswarm” of attention over comments made at what was supposed to be a private World Economic Forum meeting. Proliferation of digital cameras and camera phones Has led to many amateur photographers having their photos published Consumer-generated media (CGM) The role of the public in capturing and reporting news User Generated Content (UGC) 16

17. Challenging the Establishment and Traditional Institutions 17

18. Laws and Censorship Libel The deliberate act of defamation of character by making false statements of fact Censorship Occurs when a government or authority controls speech and other forms of expression Political freedom, pornography and issues of decency, dangerous information Chinese Web surfers will become very familiar with cute little anime-style police officers that pop up in the Web browser every half hour warning users to stay away from illegal Internet content China is planning to launch more than 100 satellites before 2020 in order to monitor its country and citizens Content-filtering software Works with Web browser to check each Web site for indecent materials ideal for situations where one person is responsible for setting the rules and defining what is allowable and not 18

19. Laws and Censorship 19

20. Privacy Issues Being free from intrusion The right to be left alone Freedom from surveillance Control over the information collected and kept about one’s self 20

21. Personal Information Privacy Much of the information gathered about individuals is done without their knowledge Internet Acts as a supercharged tool for invisible information gathering ChoicePoint collects and combines information from: FBI agents consult information supplied by ChoicePoint when involved in criminal investigations The three big credit bureaus Public records of numerous local, state, and federal government agencies Telephone records, liens, deeds, drug test records, insurance fraud information, physician backgrounds and other sources 21

22. Personal Information Privacy 22

23. Privacy and Government Privacy Act of 1974 Primary law controlling what many government agencies can and cannot do with information they hold USA PATRIOT Act Gave federal government certain liberties regarding access to private information and the treatment of suspected terrorists Total Information Awareness After the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, the U.S. Congress passed a law mandating 20 years in prison for anyone distributing bomb making information with the intent to cause violence 23

24. Privacy and Government 24

25. Privacy and Government 25

26. Surveillance Technologies Surveillance The close monitoring of behavior Wiretapping Major law-enforcement tool Big concern for those interested in personal privacy FBI surveillance With cooperation from ISPs, the Carnivore system has been used to monitor e-mail correspondence. Recently the FBI has switched to a different system, about which little is known 26

27. Surveillance Technologies Video cameras in public places Are assisting in capturing criminals who may otherwise escape Chicago Has the most advanced video surveillance system ACLU has cautioned against video surveillance Very few public spaces are unmonitored High-resolution cameras attached to satellites and trained on the earth Are providing us with amazing new mapping technologies Individuals have been given the tools to practice surveillance Some cell phones can be used as bugs 27

28. Surveillance Technologies University surveillance of electronic transmissions situations where wiretapping is required to protect the university’s rights and property monitoring network traffic for management purposes situations where an unauthorized person is using the network 28

29. Surveillance Technologies 29

30. Surveillance Technologies GPS and RFID surveillance Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) are: Useful, but can be used to invade privacy Being used to track ex-cons and students US privacy laws control who can be monitored Lack of funding limits ability to monitor Three scenarios: relationship of technology, privacy, and society Full privacy Full trust Full transparency: all surveillance and information should be accessible to every law-abiding citizen Through the use of cookies, Web companies can accumulate immense amounts of information about customers visiting their Web sites 30

31. Ethics and Social Responsibility Ethics Deals with what is generally considered right or wrong Computer ethics Issues that deal with computer use important for computer professionals governmental computer workers personal use what is legal what is best for the person in terms of mental and physical well-being what is best for the public good 31

32. Personal Ethical Considerations Personal computer ethics The responsible use of computers outside of professional environments Feeling of social responsibility May guide a computer user to treat others online with respect A person’s own sense of morality May keep him/her from becoming involved with Web content that has a negative impact 32

33. Professional Ethical Considerations Associations that have developed a code of ethical conduct Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) The British Computer Society (BCS) 33

34. Governmental Ethical Considerations The digital divide The social and economic gap between those who have access to computers and the Internet and those who do not religious and philosophical reasons Income, race, gender, government control of the purchase of technology Cuba does not permit its citizens to own computers Accessible computing for the disabled and elderly SimPC Socioeconomic digital divide in the United States Has been shrinking since the turn of the millennium Efforts to get computers into schools and libraries Global digital divide Provides a greater social and ethical challenge 34

35. Governmental Ethical Considerations 35

36. Governmental Ethical Considerations 36

37. Globalization Changes in societies and the world economy resulting from dramatically increased international trade and cultural exchange Largest contributors to globalization Computers A global telecommunication infrastructure The Internet Technology bubble of the 90s funded transcontinental fiber-optic cables to connect the world in high-speed networks 37

38. Outsourcing Use of an outside company to take over portions of the business workload Bangalore Has become known as the Silicon Valley of India Major presence Microsoft, IBM, Texas Instruments, HP, GE, and many others 38

39. Outsourcing 39

40. Offshoring Business practice that relocates an entire production line to another location, typically in another country, in order to lower overhead Beijing (China) The global center of offshoring China joined the World Trade Organization and agreed to follow international trade laws Opened a floodgate for trade and innovation Companies take advantage of the cost savings of low-cost manufacturing 40

41. Offshoring 41

42. Business Challenges in Globalization Culture Language Time and distance Infrastructure Currency State, regional, and national laws NAFTA, CAFTA 42

43. Globalization Approaches 43

44. Summary The Internet Provides an entire virtual world of information, people, and groups in which you can literally lose yourself The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Guarantees citizens the right to free speech Libel and direct, specific threats Not protected under the First Amendment 44

45. 45 Conclusion Positive effects of technology on society Finding cures for deadly diseases Eroding the power of totalitarian governments and dictators Developing alternate environmentally friendly energy sources Widespread access to information is building a more transparent society Empowerment Increases in social responsibility Overall, technology has had a more positive than negative effect

46. Summary Privacy issues that concern most people Being free from intrusion Computer profiling Primary service provided by private information service companies such as ChoicePoint The field of ethics Deals with what is generally considered right or wrong 46

47. Summary Professional computer ethics Involve the ethical issues faced by professionals in their use of computer systems as part of their jobs Globalization Changes in societies and the world economy resulting from dramatically increased international trade and cultural exchange 47