Technology Ethics and Legal Issues

This assignment analyzes the intersection of technology, ethics, and law. It explores case studies involving employee copyright infringement, employer email monitoring, software development conflicts, and patient privacy violations in a medical setting. The report discusses legal frameworks like the US Copyright Act and Privacy Act and emphasizes ethical considerations for IT professionals.

Task 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Analyzing technology issues surrounding privacy, copyright and ethics along with the
strategies to deal with the same...................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
In the recent era, both large and small business units are filled up with the rapid growth of
technological aspects. Now, for managing operations more effectually companies rely on
technological advancements. The present report is based on varied case situation which in turn
shed light on the privacy, copyright and ethical issues related to IT.
Analyzing technology issues surrounding privacy, copyright and ethics along with the strategies
to deal with the same
Issue 1: Case scenario presents that an employee is designing a marketing campaign for
small business. In this, layout of the campaign is shown that contains both video downloaded
from You Tube and Vimeo. In this situation, it is advised to such employee that tends to make
focus on undertaking or using intellectual property rights. Moreover, copyright offers exclusive
right to the creator regarding its use and distribution. As, case situation presents that designed
marketing campaign or plan can be used by other for commercial purpose. Thus, employee
should make focus on the adoption of US Copyright Act 1976. According to such Act one can
secure their unique creations such as software, graphic designs, software, architectural designs,
content etc. Hence, concerned individual can protect layout of marketing campaign via copyright
which in turn restricts other to copy or replicate the same. Thus, by taking into account all the
above depicted aspects it can be said that through presenting layout in tangible form such as
writing undesirable acts of other regarding replication can be avoided to a great extent.
Issue 2: By doing assessment, it has identified that the leader or manager of median sized
company wishes to monitor the mails of all personnel. Moreover, leader believes that someone is
trying to steal secrets of business unit. In such situation, ethical issues arise because company
possesses legal rights in relation to monitoring everything that employees do with its computer
equipments. On the basis of ethics concept such as slippery slope if manager or other, who is
assigned with the responsibility in relation to monitoring, scans mail of personnel just for fun
then the same is considered as unethical. In addition to this, ethical issues also take place under
monitoring system as it includes risk regarding doing little changes in the message and diverting
the same to wrong recipient. Along with this, in the case of monitoring employees mail there is a
risk that to gain political advantage concerned individual blackmail related personnel (Ethical

issues for IT security professionals, 2018). Thus, all such are the main ethical issues that may
rise or occur when leader or other individual whose job description allow in relation to
monitoring the e-mail of personnel. For responding such ethical issue or concern owner of the
firm needs to lay emphasis on accessing or using software that automatically highlight loopholes.
Along with this, firm also tends to make focus on using firewall systems for the security of
computer. This in turn helps in protecting information from hackers & malicious code.
Issue 3: Cited case presents new software product has designed by the developer which
in turn place negative impact on the market. However, in this, issue is that software was designed
by the personnel within company’s premises and undertaking their hardware. According to ethics
and professional conduct it is the accountability of personnel or employee to work honestly and
in a fair manner (Shinder, 2005). In this, employer can take strict legal action in against to the
employee who have violated official terms and conditions. Moreover, it is duty or responsibility
of the personnel to prior inform the owner that they are using company’s hardware for the
development of software. In the absence of giving any prior information it is considered as
violation of professional conducts. Moreover, IT code of ethics entail that IT professionals are
obliged to use computer only for the purpose assigned. Further, ethical codes present that IT
professionals should access computing as well as communication process when authorized to do
the same. However, software developer can protect himself from such violation by presenting
and giving new software to the company for its own use.
Issue 4: Concerned case situation presents that staff of large medical complex are taking
picture of patients as well as other personnel and uploading the same on Facebook. Through
evaluation, it has found that technology is developing at a breath taking pace across all the
domains social, professional and medical. In the current times, due to the rise in image sharing
apps and trend towards uploading picture on social sites create concern pertaining to maintaining
patient confidentiality, privacy and consent (Jonas, Malpas, Kersey, Merry & Bagg, 2017).
Hence, issue pertaining to privacy occurred in such situation. Hence, in the context of large
medical complex, privacy issue occurs regarding sharing of patients images. Thus, by employing
or undertaking US Privacy Act (1974) medical unit can avoid such issue. Moreover, it
establishes a code of fair information practices which in turn lay emphasis on the collection,
maintenance, usage and dissemination of information (Privacy Act of 1974, 2018). Federal

agencies record information about the individuals and do not disclose the same without the
permission of concerned individual or patient. Along with this, by providing nursing staff with
specific guidelines medical unit can prevent undesirable activities like sharing images etc.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that through the means of copyright one can
prevent others to copy similar content. It can be seen in the report that ethical issues arise when
employer take decision in relation to monitoring the mail of all personnel. Besides this, it can be
inferred that by following rules or aspects contain in digital media law medical unit can restrict
staff members in relation to sharing images of patient.

REFERENCES
Online
Jonas, M., Malpas, P., Kersey, K., Merry, A. & Bagg, W. (2017, 27th January). Applying ethical
and legal principles to new technology. Online. Available Through: <
https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/read-the-journal/all-issues/2010-2019/2017/vol-130-no-
1449-27-january-2017/7136>.
Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. 2018. Online. Available Through: <
https://www.acm.org/about-acm/acm-code-of-ethics-and-professional-conduct>.
Shinder, D. (2005, August). Ethical issues for IT security professionals. 2018. Online. Available
Through: < https://www.computerworld.com/article/2557944/security0/ethical-issues-for-it-
security-professionals.html>.
Privacy Act of 1974 (2018, July). Online. Available Through: <
https://www.justice.gov/opcl/privacy-act-1974>.