Information Ethics

Adam D. Moorehttp://www.aclu.org/pizza/

Can you think of any ethical problems or issues related to this picture?

…or more recently the Craig's list experiment?

Information Ethics

Ethical Theory Intellectual Property Privacy Free Speech Government control of information Policy, Law Ethical IT design Etc.

Ethical Theory

A Theory of Moral Value: What is moral value? What is good or bad? What has value in the realm of human experience?

A Theory of Moral Obligation: What makes an action right or wrong? Where do rights come from?

Traditional Theories of Moral Value

Hedonism – pleasure good, pain bad

Eudaimonism – human flourishing good, human non-flourishing bad

Desire Satisfaction – good occurs when human desires are satisfied, disvalue occurs when human desires are frustrated.

Traditional Theories of Moral Obligation

Consequentialism (Utilitarianism) – good and bad consequences are what make an action or policy right or wrong.

Deontology – there is more to rightness or wrongness than good or bad consequences.

Virtue Ethics – what virtues (dispositions) do we want our fellow citizens to have?

Case: Trapped in an Underwater Sea-Cave

Case: The Case of Reluctant Donation

Intellectual Property

What is IP?Copyright, patent, trademark, trade secretTRIPS agreement

The Justification of IP rights? Incentives-based social progress argumentDeontological argumentsPersonality-based arguments

Case: Making an Extra Back-up CopyWith two youngsters running about the house it is difficult

for you to keep track of all legitimately purchased CD’s and DVD’s in your possession. In fact, before you can make a legally sanctioned back-up copy of your CD’s and DVD’s your kids have scratched them beyond repair. In an effort to obtain undamaged copies you go online and download replacements via your favorite file sharing program. Shortly thereafter, new trouble comes your way – the RIAA is suing you for copyright infringement. Have you done anything illegal or immoral?

Privacy

Defining privacy

Justifying privacy rights

Privacy protections in the law. 4th Amend, torts

Tensions with Speech and IP

Privacy v. Free Speech If individuals have informational

privacy rights then these rights may restrict freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Privacy v. Intellectual Property If individuals have informational

privacy rights then these rights may limit intellectual property rights.

Discussion Case: Intellectual property v. Privacy v. Free Speech

Cape Publications, Inc. v. Bridges, Florida 1982: A women is kidnapped, taken to an apartment, stripped, and terrorized. The police — and the media — surround the apartment. The police eventually overcome the kidnapper and rush the woman, who clutches a dish towel in a futile attempt to conceal her nudity, to safety. A photograph of her escape is published in the next day's newspaper. She sued for invasion of privacy and eventually lost the case.

Free Speech

Accuracy – “I just said ‘thanks but no thanks to that bridge to no-where”

Spin – bias Checking function of the media Yale cultural cognition project (more info does not help…an

individual’s world/cultural views largely determines what she believes….individualist, hierarchist, solidarist/communitarian, egalitarian)

Government and Corporate control of information

http://www.aclu.org/pizza/

Controlling data…• Choice Point, Axicom• Event Data Recorders (EDRs)• GPS, employee tracking• Google Search• Facial recognition technology• bio-implants, RIFDs Radio-frequency identification

• store loyalty cards• video surveillance

Ethical Dimension: Imposed or Chosen?

Government Surveillance:The USA Patriot Act

Emergency Powers FISA Courts Administrative subpoenas TIA – Total Info Awareness TIPS --Terrorism Information

and Prevention System Secret wire-taps

Bush says he signed NSA wiretap order… Adds he OK'd program more than 30 times, will continue to do so. In acknowledging the message was true, President Bush took aim at the messenger Saturday, saying that a newspaper jeopardized national security by revealing that he authorized wiretaps on U.S. citizens after September 11

Saturday, December 17, 2005; Posted: 8:07 p.m. EST. CNN.com

Case: Wearing an Anti-Disclosure SuitSuppose that Fred creates and wears an anti-disclosure suit that shields him in public spaces entirely. All that his fellows know is that someone is present—they do not know if Fred is old or young, male or female, tall or short, etc. In simply wearing his anti-disclosure suit Fred does nothing wrong. Does this necessarily worsen anyone? In this example to discover much about Fred would require violating his property rights or liberty rights. Alas, the suit and what it shields is his to control. Should wearing an anti-disclosure suits be prohibited? How about masks or disguises?

Strong Encryption?