Scdo1,
There are many ways to answer this question, and I think it is
important to start with a few others.
Consider:
Are there ethical issues with cars?
Are there ethical issues with electricity? Indoor heating? Telephone
service?
The internet is software, electrical pulses, wires, and similar
telecommunications equipment. It is routers, computers, users, and
programmers. It is my personal opinion that ethical issues of the
internet usually revolve around the USE of the internet and not around
the equipment on which it is built. Of course, this is my own opinion
and you may accept it or reject it as you wish.
Now, on to providing you with some real references to your question.
In one of your previous questions, I mentioned that free speech was a
regulatory issue. It is most certainly also an ethical issue which I
would advise you to examine. (In fact, many regulatory issues arise
because they are also ethical issues.) One other issue closely related
to free speech is that of privacy and anonymity. You may want to look
at some internet privacy policies and also look at utilities that make
anonymity easier on the internet. What obligation to companies and
people have towards preserving privacy in the internet age when Some
ideas:
[ http://www.msb.edu/faculty/culnanm/gippshome.html ]
The Georgetown Internet Privacy Policy Study examined privacy on the
internet
[ http://www22.verizon.com/privacy/ ]
Verizon's privacy policy
[ http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:8wZmLV3VL-sJ:www.lexisone.com/news/nlibrary/b052501e.html+social+security+numbers+posted+on+internet+police&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
]
This is a well-known case where police officers' social security
numbers were posted on the internet. While the case also has legal
ramfications, the main ethical issue is whether or not I have the
right to post your private and personal data in a public forum like
the internet.
You might also look at web sites like [ http://www.anonymizer.com ]
which provide ways for users to mask their identity on the internet.
For more information, my search strategy on this issue was:
[ ://www.google.com/search?as_q=internet+privacy&num=100&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=policy+policies&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=images
]
Google Search: internet + privacy + (policy OR policies)
A word of warning about my next item: You may see photos and be
exposed to ideas that some would consider very offensive.
"The Nuremberg Files" is a website run by christiangallery.com which
posts photos of doctors who perform abortions. Whenever a doctor on
the list is shot, wounded, or killed, The Nuremberg Files would place
an X over the photo. Many people claimed that this was a clear
invitation for somebody to commit murder.
The current web site is at [ http://www.christiangallery.com/atrocity/
]. It seems that some of the photos have been removed temporarily (or
perhaps permanently), but you can still get the basic idea about this
site. The ethical issue is clear: Is it ethical to post photos of
people when some might interpret this as an invitation to kill that
person?
More information about The Nuremberg Files may be found from this
Google Search:
[ ://www.google.com/search?as_q=nuremberg+files+abortion&num=10&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=images
]
Google Search: Nuremberg + Files + Abortion
Finally, here's a Google search of the more general question you
asked:
[ ://www.google.com/search?as_q=ethical+internet+issues&num=100&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=images]
Google Search: ethical + internet + issues
I hope this helps your research! Ask for clarification if needed!
/ephraim |
