With the introduction of computers globally in the 1990s, the entire approach of working, communicating, and storing important information has changed. I mean, who would have thought that a machine can make one convey a message at any corner of the world with just a click of a button back then?
With computers giving us so much ease and freedom, there are high chances that users may use this freedom in an 'unethical way.' It is where the role of computer ethics comes into the picture. These simple etiquette and ethics help the environment to be more safe, friendly, and cooperative for others around. Internet ethics are nothing but how we use our morals and ethics while using the internet for various purposes.
Here is why we need ethics for internet users;
Morality includes principles justified by religious or cultural beliefs, usually shared only by groups with restricted membership.
The internet provides information from both experts and normal people on morals and how to improve oneself generally. Moreover, users can communicate with other people on the internet, learn about them, their beliefs, and the like.
The internet also forces us to reconsider earlier conceptions of privacy, dependent on print media, such as letters. Simple communication with and modifying information through digital information technologies has dramatically extended the moral values formed around these earlier technologies.
It has also required the rapid creation of new moral theories that recognize both the benefits and the risks of communicating information in all manner through modern information technologies.
Information security is another critical moral value that affects user information communication and access. For example, suppose we allow third parties to control our information in exchange for their services. In that case, these entities must also be responsible for restraining other parties who may use the information to harm us.
The entire identity may be stolen and used to promote fraud and theft with sufficient details. With the introduction of new information technology, this type of crime has risen significantly.
The world has been brought closer by computers, whether personal or professional! It is easier for most of us to shop online than to go out. To do this, we need to provide our details, such as the name, date of birth, and credit card information.
Providing this information to just anyone is lethal as they could disregard the internet ethics. But, on the other hand, we know that our knowledge would not be misused if we have read and seen that it follows cyber law and computer ethics.
An organization's abuse of information or information systems may lead to an unintended compromise of data.
Data abuse also occurs when staff lacks good practices in managing data. For example, workers make this information available beyond their intended, protected environment by copying classified work or data over their personal computers. As a result, this data could be hacked or inadvertently leaked without proper protection.
Misuse of data can also result in errors in the collection. Incorrect algorithms can lead to data collected by a company that is never supposed to contain, threaten clients and exceed the rules on enforcement.
Another abuse of information is incorrect filing. For example, companies can save some datasets in locations where they are available to the wrong teams or users, depending on how they categorize them.
It is naive to believe that privacy is overvalued in today's networked world and that privacy is not a problem if you did not do something wrong. The consequences of the flow of knowledge can be complex and shield individuals who have anything to hide. Inaccurate flows of information will adversely affect individuals and businesses in the long term.
Please take into account a situation in which one's device or tablet gets stolen. To access the owner's social media page, the attacker uses identification information stored on the system. That information could lead to finding the user's contacts, acquaintances, and friends and then engage them in illegal activities and anti-social activities such as hacking, viruses, fraud, and identity theft.
There is now the risk that the victim may get convicted of the crime. One can achieve such conditions through technology and networked systems. Internet users must know the risks associated with engagement to the internet user.
The internet has become an essential means of advertisement and marketing. Businesses must recognize the rules governing advertising of this sort so that they do not violate any legislation.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, the rules on unfair competition in ads also extend to all online marketing. In the general sense, this implies that businesses have to be honest in their representations, that claims have to be justified, and that developers must not mislead the client. Thus, online advertising is considered a setback when a false argument is significant, cannot be pretty avoided, and no other advantages are available to offset it.
The New York Times signed a contract with Barnes & Noble to connect Online book reviews with the online bookseller source.
However, the 26 independent libraries and the American Booksellers Association protested the agreement as an unfair business practice, and the deal was filed for competitive disadvantage and threatened their existence.
However, Advertising Age editors say that the new technology is being used correctly in these arrangements, and critics misdirect applying rigid printed rules to fluid cyberspace. The use of the links serves the readers.
What is intellectual property? Well, contrary to tangible forms, intellectual property refers to the property produced by the mind. Examples of these include; works by different scholars, poets, song artists, and so on.
IP theft involves the robbery of ideas, inventions, and creative expressions known as 'intellectual property—from commercial secrets and proprietary and part products to films, music, and software.
It is an increasing threat—remarkably, as digital technologies and Internet file-sharing networks are increasing. And there is a lot of robbery outside the country, where the laws sometimes are lax, and enforcement is more complicated. All in all, U.S. companies lost billions of dollars a year in intellectual property theft that robs the nation of employment and tax revenues.
The work created by one person's intellect is quickly reported and played down by another person without computer ethics.
If anyone says "IP theft," they probably mean a violation of a trademark, patent, copyright, or other IP rights. This infringement happens in several iterations:
Patent infringement happens when a patent approved by a government agency like the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or European Patent Office (EPO) is used in the industry by another person without the permission of the patent owner.
Intellectual property contributes to the competitiveness and development of a business. Therefore protecting trademarks, patents, trade secrets, and copyright should be part and parcel of all strategies for defense. Building a solid defense line, from daily users to top management, takes broad community involvement.
In a nutshell, the objectives of internet ethics are to ensure the privacy and safety of computer users, help people use the computer in the right way, and guarantee that other people did not declare the work done by someone. Therefore, we must follow all the ways to improve our ethics to achieve all the objectives. They are significant in our daily lives, protecting our privacy, maintaining our security, and respecting others.
Today's information age can make or break someone's digital footprint; it can be the decisive factor in achieving one's life-long ambitions. Unethical behavior and experiences on the internet may have far-ranging consequences both professionally and socially.
The unethical use of the web generally affects privacy and can lead to physical and virtual security breaches. Therefore, users must understand the risks and dangers of exposure to sensitive information in this space. Therefore, there is an encouragement to protect personal data on these platforms.
The use of the internet should be regulated by moral and ethical standards, which can be uniformly applied and lead to harmonious relations, irrespective of race, culture, religion, and social status.
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