Ethical Issues in Information System



Ethical Issues in Information System

Introduction

Technology has been a constant source of transformation. Technological developments have transformed our lives. It has replaced traditional ways of communication with the modern communication services. Besides, Information Systems have re-invented the business & social arenas. The development of Information & Computing System is progressing in a quick fashion. There is no doubt that Information Systems have benefited the mankind in a number of ways; it includes medical, education, business, social work, and many others. Besides its immense benefits, there are some developing concerns regarding Information Systems.

The most widely debated issue is pertaining to the ethical values. With the advent of Web 2.0, there is a need to devise appropriate conduct to address the ethical concerns. In this write up, the discussion illuminates the ethical issues of Information Systems. Also, it records the consequences of these issues. Further, the write up documents recommendations for mitigating the impact of ethical matters. Towards the end, the assignment presents conclusion.

Discussion

The Rise of technology & Ethical Issues

The vulnerabilities of Information System give rise to ethical issues. There is a need to elaborate the description & value of ethics. Ethics discriminate a civilised society from uncivilised society. It projects the principles for differentiating between the right & wrong, the good or bad. It serves as a guide for making moral judgements for an activity or an action. In this regard, information systems are considered to raise new ethical queries. It is because these systems generate opportunities for intensive social change. Thus, they threaten the existing distribution of power, money, rights & obligations. Information systems play a significant role in the progress of a society. However, they provide equal opportunities for eroding the social values & rights of people. It is apparent that an individual can use technology for committing crimes. The development of E-commerce has given rise to ethical & moral issues, pertaining to information distribution (George, 2012).

The E-commerce industry uses digital technologies to gather, use & distribute customers' information. Privacy & Confidentiality is the right of every individual. However, information systems may supplement the course of violation in a number of ways. For instance, an E-commerce site may decide to track its customers for the business purposes. Similarly, customers' personal information may be leaked to third parties, which assists an organisation in rallying business (Salehnia, 2003).

Today, a number of people prefer online shopping. They get involved in online transactions through their cards. The consequences of leaking financial information can be severe. It can result in cyber crimes in terms of financial theft. Cyber criminals can use this information to make transactions. Moreover, individuals have the right to retain their privacies at all cost. They have the right to stay anonymous. Today, businesses have to do a lot of research & analysis. For this purpose, they need to analyse the information of their customers such as financial history etc. Moreover, telemarketers use customers' data, in order to direct lead their marketing campaign (George, ...