...Computer Ethics Jason Hall CIS 324 Professor Pride December 4, 2010 Abstract As advancements in technology become more widespread, so do the ethical issues that come with these advancements. Computer ethics boils down to a “what is right and what is wrong” mentality. While one person’s view on computer ethics may differ from another person’s view, one basic idea should always be kept in mind when making ethical decisions, “Do unto others as you would have done to you.” If everyone obeyed this “golden rule” we would not have nearly as many issues with computer ethics. To better understand some of the computer ethics issues surrounding us today, I will explore the ethical issues dealing with software and social networking sites that have plagued the cyber world in recent years. Software Issues Ethical use of software is overlooked by many. Purchasing software does not mean that one owns the software and can use it anyway they want. You do not own the software. The only thing purchased in this case is a license to use the software. Upon using the purchased software, the purchaser accepts the terms and conditions that apply. By accepting the terms of the copyrighted material, one is agreeing not to use the software for anything other then the intended use and not to make and distribute copies to others who have not paid for the license. The only exception for making copies of software is for backup purposes. This type of exception is...
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...Employers Use of Facebook in Recruiting Peter Engler, Peter Tanoury Introduction With the advent of new web technologies, a grey area of ethical responsibility exists concerning the use of the technology within the workplace. In the case of Facebook, some individuals and entities have used this new database of personal information in ethically questionable ways. The lack of clear rules and standards has led to the dissemination of personal information across the internet for purposes other than what Facebook was intended for. One of the more disturbing ethical infringements on personal privacy is the use of Facebook profiles in employment screening. This new method of employment screening by companies is a clear infringement on the rights of Facebook users. Consider the following scenario: A recruiter at a Denver based company has a stack of resumes on their desk from recent University of Colorado graduates. Due to time constraints and the fact that each applicant appears equally qualified, the recruiter decides to go online and check their Facebook profiles for any relevant information to aid in the hiring process. However, the recruiter does not have access to the CU Facebook network and asks one of their CU interns to log on for them. The recruiter begins searching through profiles based on the stack of submitted resumes. The first profile pops up. It doesn't take long before the recruiter sees that the applicant’s political affiliation is "very liberal" and listed under...
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...order to screen job applicants. Employers want to know as much information as possible about their employees before investing the time and money required to incorporate them into their companies. One common site used in these searches is Facebook.com. Facebook is a social networking site originally limited to the use by college community, but in more recent years, it has been open to the general public (Clark & Roberts, 2010). Founded in 2004, the site now has over 1 billion users (Vance, 2012). As one of the most trafficked site in the United States, Facebook is one of the primary networking sites used for pre-employment screening. The site allows the uploading of personal pictures and videos that can be shared with a select group of people or with the public as a whole. Registered users also have the ability to join groups, which range in topic from support of a particular sports team, political issue, or hobbies the person may be interested in (Clark & Roberts, 2010). An employer searching a profile may gain access to all of this information and can use it to decide which candidates to interview and/or hire. While Facebook has many different control settings allowing users to limit and/or block the viewing of their individual profiles, there are numerous ways around these leaving users vulnerable to searches performed by curious employers (Clark & Roberts, 2010). In order to better understand the ethics of employee Facebook checks, one can thoroughly examine...
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...Administrative Ethics Lyndsey Hallbauer HCS/335 September 1, 2014 Lawrence Fergus Administrative Ethics In the technological age that we are living many of us have social media accounts. We use these accounts to post pictures and share stories from all aspects of our lives. Though social media is a very useful tool, social media outlets have had their share of negative publicity. Health care professionals have the duty of caring for people who are ill and in need in part of protecting sensitive patient information. When the worlds of patient privacy and social media meet, it is like a collision that leaves many affected in its wake. How responsible is the employer for the employee’s over sharing on social media sites? What are the measures employers must take to protect their patients and employees from over sharing? Social Media and Patient Privacy Social media applications such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have become very popular over recent years as a way of keeping in touch with friends and family online. The online social networking platform Facebook reports having 1,310,000,000 monthly active users in July 2014 (Statistic Brain, 2013). Those who work in the health care field must be very cautious as to what they are posting with regards to their lives at work. The caregiver is not not violating patient privacy while discussing the happenings of their day with loved ones online until they disclose patient identifying information. There are boundaries that...
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...Factors MGT/330 March 26, 2012 Jack Adamchik Abstract In this paper we will analyze the functions of management at Facebook. Examining the four management functions (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling) and in what way the functions are shaped by internal and external factors. How do technology, innovation, globalization, ethics, and diversity impact each of the functions of management? Finally an explanation of how delegation is used by individuals in the managerial position in the function of management. These are the questions that are going to be answered in this paper. External/Internal Factors Every business follows the four functions of management. These four functions in conjunction with internal and external factors can cause a business to be successful or cause a business to be a failure. There are a variety of internal and external factors that a business considers in its daily operations. These factors are extremely useful when considering the future projections of a business. Facebook is an organization that uses the SWOT analysis once the internal and external factors are determined. This type of analysis will help executives formulate strategy for the organization and aid in future projections of the organization. Internal and external factors shape the four functions of management in the SWOT Analysis in Facebook. This plan is a strategic planning implemented so that an evaluation can be made of the assets, difficulties, prospects...
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...Information Technology Ethics Issues Article Georgeanna Chapman BIS/221 March 23, 2015 C. Randall Shirley Information Technology Ethics Issues Article Memorandum To: C. Randall Shirley From: Georgeanna L. Chapman Date: 4/26/2015 Re: Information Technology Ethics Issues Article Summary Laws and Ethics Can’t Keep Pace with Technology The article that I chose to use is from MIT Technology Review. In the article; it was discussed on how Ethics can’t keep up with the growing use of Technology. 1. Employers can get into trouble in interviews asking potential applicants about their sexual preference, religion or political affiliation, yet can find all this information on social media and it isn’t against the law. 2. Laws forbid lenders from discriminating on the basis of race, gender and sexuality, but if their work history on Facebook doesn’t match their work history on LinkedIn, they are socially undesirable. “We haven’t come to grips with what is ethical, let alone with what the laws should be, in relation to technologies such as social media.” (Wadhwa, 2014, p. 1) The laws and ethical practices are forever evolving. With the public uproar about the surveillance by the NSA this actually pales in association with the data that Google, Apple and Facebook are collecting and people don’t seem to be concerned about that. You give these sites permission to collect this information and store it. We will have similar debates about self-driving cars, drones...
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...Information Technology Ethics Issues In the past thirty years technology has changed our lives significantly. It changed the way we communicate, the way we work, the way we interact with each other, to how we fight wars. With that being said, it has raised controversy and initiated intense debates that are often differentiated or entangled in scientific uncertainties or dishonest demagoguery. Law and ethics are struggling to keep pace with technology. For example, employers are forbidden and can face legal action if the ask interviewers about their, religion, political affiliation, or sexual preference. Nevertheless, they are able to turn to the internet like google or Facebook to determine if a candidate meets the job criteria by their beliefs, looks, or habits. It is against the law for lenders to discriminate a person based off their race, gender, and sexuality. However, they can deny a person a loan based on their Facebook friends that have a history of poor credit history or if their Facebook bios don’t match other websites like LinkedIn for example. Since laws have not kept up with modern day technology it causes regulatory gaps. As technology rapidly progresses the gaps seem to be getting bigger and bigger with time. Employment is not the only place where these regulatory gaps are happening. They are happening wherever technology exist. Technology has evolved so much in the last thirty years it’s nearly impossible to keep up causing our laws and ethical practices...
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...The Ethics of Social Media – Part I: Adjusting to a 24/7 World Posted by admin2 • December 14, 2010 • Printer-friendly This is the first of a two-part series. The second part is available here. by James Hyatt So your company hasn't had an OMG moment over Facebook ethics? As they say, Good Luck With That. It has been almost a decade since Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the wake of the Enron, Tyco and WorldCom scandals, seeking to put in place a variety of measures to protect investors and address standards of behavior. Over the years, once-controversial practices about disclosure and ethics have become generally accepted standards. But the social media explosion - from email and Facebook to blogs and Twitter – is making a hash of once-resolved issues and creating all kinds of new dilemmas. --Businesses have less and less control over how they communicate with the public, while 24-7 bloggers feel free to snipe away. --Job seekers find their private lives may no longer be private and employees worry that the boss is electronically looking over their shoulders. --Consumers can't be sure their account information remains safe and have no way to tell whether favorable on-line comments about products and businesses are legitimate. --Professionals of all sorts -- psychiatrists, attorneys, school teachers, reporters, and even NFL players – are learning to live with new, often controversial, social media rules. A customer's irate blog can undo months and years of...
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...my Human Recourse Manager (HRM) to evaluate the following issues in light of the employment-at-will doctrine. The employment-at-will doctrine gives employers broad discretion to fire employees “for a good reason, a dad reason, or no reason at all” (Halbert & Ingulli, 2012, p. 46). The first concern is our employee John posted a rant on his Facebook page in which he criticized our company most important customer. After further investigation I collaborate with my HRM and decided to terminate John. The fact that John bad-mouth the customer on social media is bad for business. It is my responsibility as the COO to clearly send a message to our employees that social media is not the place to air concerns or criticize clients. I can legally according to the employment –at-will doctrine (At-Will) fire John because his criticism of the client was not a matter of public concern. As an employer we must have a significant control over our employees’ word and actions because of the possible impact on operations for example if the client left and we must limit our liabilities. The ethical theory which best supports my decision is free market ethics. Legal challenge: The woman sued, claiming that she was fired in violation of her First Amendment right to free speech. The employer countered that because the woman wasn’t addressing a matter of public concern, her posts weren’t considered protected free speech. Result: The employer won. The court ruled that mouthing off on social media didn’t...
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...Topics in Ethics: Technology The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of social networking. Specifically it will discuss the impact of the social networking site Facebook on today’s society. My position with this paper is “ for Facebook”. Facebook has become a phenomenon for the social networking set. Facebook allows people who probably never would have met each other in person to communicate, it creates new relationships and friendships, and it places distance between people who could communicate in person but instead choose to communicate online, instead. It is just another element of society that is interested in sharing information with the intimacy of a close, personal relationship. Whatever users choose to post information publicly on Facebook that is his or her choice. However, there have been many situations where employers have requested or even required applicants for employment or employees to provide their username and password to the online social networks to which they belong. “Some situations also involve employers asking an applicant or employee to log in to their Facebook account to allow the employer to search through that account” (Delaney, 2013, p. 87). Even worse, some employers have refused to hire an applicant or disciplined or discharged employees, based on a refusal to supply the information. Creating negative posts or pictures that involve co-workers and or patients (if working in healthcare) can...
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...• John posted a rant on his Facebook page in which he criticized the company’s most important customer. • Jim sent an email to other salespeople protesting a change in commission schedules and bonuses and suggesting everyone boycott the next sales meeting. • Ellen started a blog to protest the CEO’s bonus, noting that no one below director has gotten a raise in two (2) years and portraying her bosses as “know-nothings” and “out-of-touch” • Bill has been using his company-issued BlackBerry to run his own business on the side. • The secretaries in the accounting department decided to dress in black-and-white stripes to protest a memo announcing that the company has installed keylogger software on all company computers. • After being disciplined for criticizing a customer in an email (sent from his personal email account on a company computer), Joe threatens to sue the company for invasion of privacy. • One of the department supervisors requests your approval to fire his secretary for insubordination. Since the secretary has always received glowing reviews, you call her into your office and determine that she has refused to prepare false expense reports for her boss. • Anna’s boss refused to sign her leave request for jury duty and now wants to fire her for being absent without permission. As an astute manager, you will need to analyze the employment-at-will doctrine and determine what, if any, exceptions and...
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...cause at all. The employee also has the right to quit a job for any reason. Under this legislation, neither the employer or employee incurs “adverse legal consequences” (NCSL, 2014). There are three exceptions that are observed by the law to include a dismissal that “violates a state’s public policy, where there is an implied contract for employment, or where there is an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing” (Muhl, 2001, p4). People cannot be fired based on the “individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin” (Halbert & Ingulli, 2012, p134). An individual can also not be fired based on a disability or due to filing a workman’s comp claim. Imagine you are a recently-hired Chief Operating Officer (COO) in a midsize company preparing for an Initial Public Offering (IPO). You quickly discover multiple personnel problems that require your immediate attention. As an astute manager, you will need to analyze the employment-at-will doctrine and determine what, if any, exceptions and liabilities exist before taking any action. * Whether you can legally fire the employee; include an assessment of any pertinent exceptions to the employment-at-will doctrine. * What action you should take to limit liability and impact on operations; specify which ethical theory best supports your decision. * John posted a rant on his Facebook page in which he criticized the company’s most important customer. John’s actions took place on his own time,...
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...Assignment # 1 Employment-At-Will LEG 500 Professor Brasca 5/9/14 At-Will Employment Doctrine is fairly unique to the American employer-employee relationship. The United States remains the only country that adheres to the at-will employment doctrine while most industrialized nations still require employers to show good cause before the employers can terminate employees. At-Will Employment Doctrine allows employers to terminate employees for any reason, or no reason at all. In an at-will work environment, there is no fairness or justice that can be protected or enforced by the courts. For instance, an employer can terminate an employee because they dislike the style of dress, or the way one behaves (Pitchford, 2005). Scenario 1: John posted a rant on his Facebook page in which he criticized the company’s most important customer John should be terminated because he violates the Ethic of Care by leaking critical information about the on social media. The social media could damage company reputation and it may lead to financial losses. Customers have to right to sue the company for sharing their information on Facebook without the consent. John jeopardizes the company and the customer’s relationship (Halbert, P25). Scenario 2: Jim sent an email to other salespeople protesting a change in commission schedules and bonuses and suggesting everyone boycott the next sales meeting In this scenario, manager needs to have a one-on-one discussion with...
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...Social Media Tools in E-Commerce The Internet allows individuals, companies, and entire organizations the ability to interact and socialize. Typically individuals are consumers on the web, looking for information, researching, and purchasing products. Through social media, consumers are advancing from content consumers to content producers. Instead of researching, people can post their ideas, their personal or business information online on websites such as Face-book, twitter, My-space, blogging, and video marketing on You Tube. One of the largest consumers of social media is the Business to Business marketing that is currently ahead of the curve. “Marketing researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth have released the results of a survey, showing that U.S. companies overwhelmingly use at least one social media tool in their marketing efforts” (Komarketing, 2009, p. 3). The research also pointed out that 62% of executives surveyed reported using or being familiar with Twitter. The report also showed that over half of the 500 companies were already using the popular micro blogging service as a part of their online marketing campaigns. An overwhelming 80% of the companies surveyed in the report use social media networks (Komarketing, 2009). Tools for Effective Messaging An analyst of social media, Jordan Julien who wrote the article the Social Media Achilles Heel, suggests that when blogging or marketing through any social media there are two important concepts...
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...sale enterprises, etc. However, this issue has raised arguments about users’ privacy. Some people claim that it is not ethical for making profit from personal information while others state that it is not privacy detection when social networks give individual data, which users provide on public websites (e.g.: Facebook, Twitter, etc.), to business companies. The author of this essay believe that selling personal information is unethical business because of the following reasons that utilize Facebook as an circumstance to illustrate the author’s view. To begin with, it is possible that social networks such as Facebook has earned a great amount of money from its user’s data. Founded in 2004, Facebook is one of the biggest social networks providing a connection among people, and where a person can aware what is happening or share his/her own feelings. This network has achieved outstanding success by attracting a huge number of customers. In addition, it earned 7,872,000 in 2013 and there were 864 million daily active users on average for September 2014. One part of this success is proved to come from selling Facebook users’ information for the companies that want to influence or appeal to customers. According to Lori Andrews, Facebook earned $3.2 billion from advertisements by providing advertising capacity for other companies (Lori Andrews, Facebook Is Using You (The New York Times), http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/opinion/sunday/facebook-is-using you.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0)...
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