Internet Research Ethics

Bynum’s article on “Ethics and the Information Revolution” describes how information and communication technology (ICT) has taken over the world and changed the way we live our lives. Bynum brings up an interesting point that for the first time ethics and values will be debated across the whole globe and affect everyone. The question then remains, whose laws govern the Internet? In addition, he discusses the future of computer ethics and one theory states that computer ethics might eventually disappear. I think it will always exist, but just in a different form. The Internet and cyberspace are here to stay and we as a global community must adapt to the changes.

In a recent article in the Legal Times, Chere Estrin discusses the controversies of blogging on the job especially in law firms and if a person is protected by the First Amendment. She discusses one example where a Delta Airlines flight attendant claims she was fired over inappropriate pictures (she was in uniform) she posted on her blog web site. The Electronic Froniter Foundation goes onto say that, “While your right to free speech is protected by the First Amendment, this protection does not shield you from the consequences of what you say.” I find this comment very interesting and had never thought of First Amendment rights in this way before. In addition, is it ethical for a person, such as the flight attendant, to post unsuitable pictures on the Internet? To me, the Internet is a public domain and not government regulated, so technically you are not protected by the First Amendment. In addition, I believe posting these inappropriate pictures is unethical and the company reserves the right to take it’s own disciplinary actions against the employee.

The article also discusses the issue of anonymity when employees are talking about their law firm/company on a blog site in a damaging way. To me, although the person might not state their name, there is always a way to find out the identity of the person making negative comments. If you blog something, it becomes available to the whole world. To that extent, you should be very cautious about what is being written on the blog site. The article also brings up another ethical issue, if you read about information you know is confidential (a case or a client) on a blog and say nothing are you also guilty? While the policies for blogging are not formally written, I believe in the near feature there will be rules about confidentiality and what is appropriate and inappropriate. (“To blog or not to blog,” Legal Times, December 19, 2005, p.21 & 23).

Another ethical issue that presents itself in the information world is copyright. Copyright has always been an issue, but the development of the Internet has made it easier for individuals to obtain information without adhering to copyright laws. The most well-known offense is downloading music without paying for it. Is this ethical? I think it is unethical to download music and/or videos without paying for them. It is the same as going into Best Buy and stealing a CD or DVD. Most everyone would agree that this is wrong, so it is the same with obtaining music from the Internet.