INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICS.

Initially, privacy concerns involving computer technology arose because citizens feared that a strong centralized government could easily collect and store data about them. In the 1960s, for example, there was talk of constructing a national computerized database in the United States, and many were concerned that George Orwell's prediction of Big Brother in his classic book 1984 had finally arrived. The centralized database, however, never materialized. Prior to September 11, 2001, some privacy advocates suggested that we have fewer reasons to be concerned about the federal government's role in privacy intrusions (Big Brother) than we do about privacy threats from the commercial sector (Big Bucks and Big Browser). Is that assessment still accurate? Defend your answer.

Running head: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICS 1
Information Technology Ethics
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICS 2
Privacy issues associated to computer technology arose because citizens fear that a powerful
central administration could effortlessly gather and store their information. The nation tries to
analyze information within its borders as well as the communications made by its citizens. In this
essence, the country involves itself in such issues to control security issues like terrorism by
taking right measures before something major happens. For example, in the 1960s, there was a
talk to construct a national computerized database in the US, as much as the notion that “Big
Brother” computer and communication surveillance to watch over. It is during this period that all
information about communications was supposed to be analyzed and stored. However, this never
happened and Big Brother never implemented.
In regard to confidentiality advocates there is less explanations to care about government’s part
in confidentiality interruptions (Big Brother) compared to how they worry about commercial
industry secrecy threats (Big Bucks and Big Browser). These advocates mean that the role of the
federal government in privacy intrusions like collecting and processing of communication data of
its citizens seemed to be a minor problem compared to privacy threats from the commercial
industry. The reason being that all people supposing that whatever the government will do while
collecting data of is citizens communication in an unauthorized manner it will be done for the
interest of protecting the country against external attacks and security risks (Chatfield, &
Reddick, 2017). However, commercial risk privacy threats from the commercial industry means
that commercial firms collect yet they do not have strict control in the use of the data.
Commercial use the data can go past national boundaries to international level (Pirc, DeSanto,
Davison, & Gragido, 2016). Consequently, people have less reason being worried of the
involvement of the government in privacy invasions compared to how they are worried about
confidentiality dangers from commercial industry.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICS 3
References
Chatfield, A. T., & Reddick, C. G. (2017, June). Cybersecurity innovation in government: A case
study of US pentagon's vulnerability reward program. In Proceedings of the 18th Annual
International Conference on Digital Government Research (pp. 64-73). ACM.
Pirc, J., DeSanto, D., Davison, I., & Gragido, W. (2016). Threat Forecasting: Leveraging Big
Data for Predictive Analysis. Syngress.