• Filtering and Monitoring

• Image Editing

• Virus Protection Scams

• Job Loss and Working Conditions

• Webcams

• Cloud Storage and Confidentiality

• Electronic Monitoring

• Plagiarism

Filtering and Monitoring

Most agree that it is ethical and prudent to shield young children from violent or sexual Internet content by using software that filters such content. Some parents of older children have installed computer monitoring software that records all their children's Internet activity. They believe this is warranted because they need to know what their kids are doing online. Do you believe it is ethical of parents to do this?

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Image Editing

Image editing software has made it easy to alter any photo or video to correct for a variety of different imperfections. However, some professionals can use these programs to significantly manipulate the content or meaning of a photo or video. Such changes are often intended to influence the opinions or emotions of the viewer. Supporters argue that this type of editing is acceptable and is just another way to express an opinion or feeling from an editor. Critics note that this type of image and video manipulation is unethical because it is being used intentionally to mislead and fool the public. What do you think?

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Virus Protection Scams

Everyone should worry about getting a computer virus that will corrupt or destroy files. Some suggest that software developers may be taking advantage of this fear by sending out misleading or fake virus alerts. One reported scam encourages users to download a free virus detection program. This free download begins by actually installing a virus onto the user's computer. It then performs a bogus scan, locating the virus and then offering to remove the virus for a fee. Obviously, this is unethical, not to mention illegal. How can you and legitimate antivirus manufacturers protect themselves against viruses and unethical software developers?

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Job Loss and Working Conditions

Labor costs are much less in China than in the United States. As a result, many computers and peripherals sold last year were manufactured there. While this has resulted in the loss of jobs elsewhere, it has also improved the standard of living for millions of Chinese. Unfortunately, working conditions in Chinese factories have been widely reported to be well below acceptable standards. Do you think consumers have an ethical responsibility regarding where and/or how products are manufactured?

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Webcams

You may have heard of instances where webcams were used to broadcast the activities of individuals who did not know they were being recorded. For example, in a famous court case, a university student was prosecuted for using a webcam on an open laptop to secretly record his roommate's intimate activities. In other situations, public webcams have recorded embarrassing footage of people who were not aware of the camera. It has been argued that capturing and then broadcasting a person's image without his or her knowledge and consent is unethical. What do you think?

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Cloud Storage and Confidentiality

Cloud storage has created some interesting legal and ethical questions regarding the storage of sensitive and privileged information. Who is responsible for maintaining security and privacy of sensitive and confidential information? What if your attorney or doctor stored confidential information about you on the cloud and it somehow became widely distributed across the Internet? Clearly, you suffer any related consequences, but who is responsible? Is it your attorney, your doctor, the company providing the cloud service, or do you somehow have the responsibility to protect personal sensitive information?

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Electronic Monitoring

As eavesdropping tools become more sophisticated, there is concern that law enforcement and government agencies will be able to monitor everyone's Internet and cell phone activity. In the private sector, companies are increasingly using network tools and software to monitor the activity of their employees. Many websites also track your activity, and government officials have often requested these records during the course of an investigation. Many believe that it is unethical for government and businesses to engage in such monitoring and tracking. Do you agree?

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Plagiarism

Do you know of anyone who has copied parts of a web page from a variety of sites and combined the parts to form a term paper? Of course, such a practice is unethical and most likely illegal. Many schools and universities now use a program that can compare the content of a student's paper to published material on the web and previously submitted papers. Do you think it is ethical for instructors to employ a program that checks for plagiarism? Is there a risk that the program may confuse proper citations from the web with obvious cases of plagiarism?

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