Analysis of Ethical and Privacy Issues in IT: Tech Giants (IT5006)

This report provides an in-depth analysis of ethical and privacy issues within the software development practices of major technology companies, specifically Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft. The study examines the use of illegal software within these companies, evaluating their authenticity, reliability, and personal judgments. The report delves into the ethical and privacy judgments associated with each company, covering topics such as counterfeit products, data collection practices, and compliance programs. It explores specific cases, including Apple's iPhone, Samsung's mobile phones, and Microsoft's software, assessing their impact on consumers and the industry. The report also examines the companies' responses to ethical dilemmas, including product quality concerns, privacy infringements, and compliance initiatives. Through its analysis, the report aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ethical and privacy challenges faced by these tech giants and their implications for the future of software development.

Running head: PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Professional Issues in Information Technology
(Apple, Samsung, Microsoft)
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author Note

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Executive summary
In this report, an investigation is done on the ethical and privacy issues that are related to present day
software development. This mainly focusses on the popular tech-giants of the globe. This specific
concern for the present analysis is utilizing the illegal software for performing the activities. A
review is done on Samsung, Microsoft and Apple. Here, for all the cases their reliability and
authenticity and personal judgment is been evaluated. Apart from that, the ethical and privacy
judgments are also discussed in this assessment.

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Table of Contents
Introduction:..........................................................................................................................................3
Case 1: Apple.........................................................................................................................................3
Authenticity and Reliability:..............................................................................................................3
Personal judgment:............................................................................................................................4
Ethics and Privacy Judgement:..........................................................................................................4
Case 2: Samsung....................................................................................................................................5
Authenticity and Reliability:..............................................................................................................5
Personal judgment:............................................................................................................................6
Ethics and Privacy Judgement:..........................................................................................................7
Case 3: Microsoft...................................................................................................................................8
Authenticity and Reliability:..............................................................................................................8
Personal Judgment:............................................................................................................................8
Ethics and Privacy Judgement:..........................................................................................................9
Conclusion:..........................................................................................................................................10
References:..........................................................................................................................................11

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Introduction:
The ethical issues witnessed by software engineer includes en product, process of developing
the product and various human interactions for product development. As per mass media, the
computer ethics includes all the conceivable misusage of the systems. There are various capabilities,
services and products having private and public sectors. They are dependent largely on software for
controlling high-value and sensitive data. On this the privacy of people, health, livelihoods various
lives depend. The national security and the persona safety of citizens depends on software-intensive
information systems, interconnected and complex systems. These systems at many situations might
utilize the Internet-exposed private exposed and uncontrolled Internet as the ways to transport and
communicate the data. The following study makes of assessment of privacy and ethical problems for
software development which is among the giants world technology. The issue chosen for the present
analysis is “using illegal software to perform their tasks”. For this the 3 companies chosen are
Microsoft, Samsung and Apple. For every case their authenticity and reliability along with personal
judgment is provided. Besides, the privacy and ethical judgments are also demonstrated in this study.
Case 1: Apple
Authenticity and Reliability:
The iPhone of Apple has been selling about hundreds of millions of their units across the
world. It was since that was launched first during June 2007. Their popularity has led to
development some counterfeit versions of their handset. This has various unscrupulous retailers
trying to pass off the actual thing. As per New York Times, there has been numerous fake number of
iPhones. They are seized at California at current days (Clarke, O'Connor & Leavy, 2016). Though
the counterfeit iPhones has been turning to be rousingly sophisticated, that is similar to state
difference between genuine device and fake iPhone. Apart from that, the Apple computers are the

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most reliable as per Rescuesom repair data. Here, the survey that lied on the basis of their own data
has been calling to service. There they have been providing Apple the A+ reliability grade with the
reliability point of 665. It left behind Samsung being these cd with grade of A- a score of 270
(Abrahamsson et al., 2017).
Personal judgment:
Regarding people, during December 2019, the article of Guardian referred Apple as the
defendants in lawsuit that has been filed in Washington DC. This was from the human rights
organizations named “International Rights Advocates”. This has been on behalf of the fourteen
parents and their children from DRC or Democratic Republic of the Congo. Different other
defendants for the lawsuit involved Tesla, Microsoft, Dell and Google (Mall, 2018). Then the
environment is to be considered. It was seen that Apple received the worst rating from the ethical
consumers for their environmental reporting during 2019. Though the data for the 2019 report of
Environmental responsibility covered their primary environmental effects, it includes the conflict
materials. This was involved the one quantified future environment target and the only one dated.
During the month of July of 2019, the ethical consumer gave award to the Apple as the worst point
for the strategies that has been likely to be utilized for avoiding taxes. Besides, some jurisdictions
has been there that has been considered by the ethical consumers to be the havens of tax and thus
seen to at great risk to be utilized for the purposes of tax avoidances (Kudaravalli, Faraj & Johnson,
2017).
Ethics and Privacy Judgement:
One of the problems that need constant oversight s quality of the products. The brand of
Apple has been hinging on the quality of product. Thus mistakes occur generating serious level of
ethical dilemmas. Under the present fast-paced industry of electronic, where many latest products

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are been introduced at every year. There are mistakes that are hard to be found out prior the
introduction of products. As Apple introduces the iPhone 4, the consumers start to make complain of
issues with reception. The issues have originated through antenna interference (Lesser & Ban, 2016).
This happened the users held Apple’s phone in particular manner. Various experts of public relation
has criticized them to appear in minimizing issues instead of reacting fast to do away with that. As
the consumer reports fail to endorse that product, the company delivers free bumpers ad various
cases for specific time period solving the issues with reception. As the issues with product never stop
many consumers from the purchasing iPhone 4, that reiterate the great case that they should consider
for the quality of the product. Further, the consumers view quality of the product to be inseparable
from Apple (Calefato et al., 2018). Thus, any sort of mishap at the area can damage their strength of
brand. Apart from that, privacy is an important issue for them. During 2011, they disclosed some
features on the phones that they sell to collect information on the location of that phone. It is seen by
government officials and consumers in the form of infringement to privacy of users. Apart from that
the organizations have also announced that the users have the scope to disable the feature over the
phones. It has not been totally true for Apple since few of their phone has been constantly collecting
the information of location though after the users have disabled their feature. Again, Apple attributed
that to the glitch that the problem was solved with the new software. Further, Apple defended the
mechanisms of data collection. However, various government officials has been seen to be
disagreeing with the matter. Besides, the government has consider the passing of legislation on the
privacy of mobiles and the activities that have profound impacts on Apple along with other
electronics organizations (Sedano, Ralph & Péraire, 2017).

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Case 2: Samsung
Authenticity and Reliability:
No doubt is there that Samsung is one of popular manufacturers as the mobile phones are
considered. Nonetheless, having high-end technology related to all the latest models, the price tags
also rises. This is where one has been thinking whether be might get few specifications with cheaper
rate. Because of absence of awareness present among the buyers, the sellers have been fooling their
customers through selling fake mobiles at cheaper price (Dingsøyr et al., 2018). Apart from that,
people must be aware of things that they could utilize for checking whether the phone is real through
performing the Samsung IMEI check. Statistically, they have remained as the most reliable products
that is to be sold. Nonetheless, a separate set of problems has been there for them, which have been
worse. It is unfortunate that Samsung has been the most popularly sold brand in various nations like
Maldives. However, this has been a primary issue since the service never have followed the sales
volume (Khan & Keung, 2016).
Personal judgment:
It is been reported that few screen protectors of Samsung has been incompatible with their
reader. Because of the scanners using ultrasounds has been detecting the 3D ridges of the
fingerprints. It has been coming besides the reports that they have developed the selfie camera that is
under-scree for the upcoming high-end phone using OLED panel that is near-transparent (Guzmán et
al., 2017). Irrespective of that the fact, it can bring hardware developments to fingerprints scanners
that has been to be seen yet. The mass production for the attest OLED unit would start in the
upcoming days. On the other hand, the Pixel 4 never has the fingerprint scanner that is included in
hone rather than giving favor to the 3D type facial identification. It is easy to think from the first
sight that the developments technical part has never been related directly to the life of people. The

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business practices after all has been actually affecting their users (Fitzgerald & Stol, 2017).
Nevertheless, the different software developers are the people who understand what could be done
by their products. They have been trusting the providers as consumers to develop and optimize their
lives. This is in exchange of data such as email address and name. Their software developers have
been trusting the software providers in making effective usage of their creations. Again, the trust has
been supported through vague regulation that have many loopholes as one know the place to look at.
None is totally secured from unfair practices of the providers of software. Some of the ethical issues
that developers of the software must know is the time of creating the products and opting what and
which business they must work for (Šmite et al., 2017).
Ethics and Privacy Judgement:
Firstly, they have the compliance program. It is a company-wide initiative. It is been utilized
for assuring the self-governing legal compliance. The program that is been overseen from the side of
CEO and senior executive committee has given rise to support network of the officers of
compliances. They have representatives at all their departments. They are been charged with
dispensing advices over significant policies and directing the staffs to the legal resources needed and
reporting infractions, complaints or violations to related governing committee for suitable resolution.
(Niazi et al., 2016)Through assuring every staffs been cloying with the policies, regulations and
governing laws the program is able to mitigate the risks. This insulates the organization and staffs
from various unanticipated fallout of law. Next, they have engineering compliance system. Here,
Samsung Engineering has used the internal support portal called ECS or Engineering Compliance
System. This is active as the way of communication between compliance team and personnel of
Samsung Engineering (Niazi et al., 2016). Moreover, ECS has been the archive of legal references,
compliance guidelines and additional compliance documents. With the system, the staffs are able to
search for legal advice along with reporting the legal level of violations seen at workplace. Further,

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there is ethics and compliance in practice. As the Samsung Engineering functions throughout the
world and employing people having wide range of backgrounds, the fostering of ethical and
transparent work environment. This needs clearer level of policies on various subjects like anti-
collusion and anti-corruption. In doing that, one can lay strong founding stone for the integrity that
has organization-wide culture. Lastly, there is the whistleblowing system. For developing the
business operation transparency and deploy ethical corporate type culture, power abuse or unfair
practices and also cases of corruption to be reported through Ethical management Website, e-mail,
postal, fax or phone. For determining the informal and content of that report to be totally secured, the
reports received are to be processes and classified as per the type (Yilmaz et al., 2017).
Case 3: Microsoft
Authenticity and Reliability:
There are ways to determine the counterfeit Microsoft software. For the digital keys, the
reputation of the retailer is to be checked specially for the marketplace sellers of third-party. Besides,
it should be checked whether the cost has been suspiciously leer that the RRP of Microsoft (Zahedi,
Shahin & Babar, 2016). Here, for the physical media, the print quality is to be checked and the outer
packaging are to be spelled. It should also be assured that the various security holograms are there on
the DVD or USB. This is been embedded under the media and never affixed as the form of labels.
Usage of authentic Microsoft is helpful to avoid scams, unexpected license deactivation and
malware. It is unfortunate that an effective “grey market” has been there for the product keys of
Microsoft and the media of installation (Jorgensen, 2019). As the reliability of Microsoft is
measures, it is seen that their product manufacturer needs to understand the ways to develop that
reliability. Thus, it is best as the mechanisms and systems are put in proper place to measure the
capability to deliver the data helpful for the improvement of reliability.

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Personal Judgment:
In order to present various problems with compliance coming from the beginning, a culture
of ethics is to be promoted along with integrity. This is done through developing the compliance
culture across their business and with training, policies standards of business conducts. They also
uses the data analytics, proactive investigations and risk assessment, vetting of third party and
additional efforts of compliances for decreasing the effective risks. Every employees are liable for
upholding the standards of Microsoft and fostering compliance culture within their team and various
partners and reporting the concerns (Storey et al., 2016). Apart from that, they have been analyzing
root cause of the issues and constantly developing process and controls or decrease the recurrence
risks. Apart from that they discipline the staffs violating standards and policies irrespective of the
level. They have been stopping performing business with suppliers and partners who never meet
their ethical standards. Further, Microsoft has been putting their users under control of the privacy
with the clear choices and easy-to-use tools. Regarding legal protections, they have been respecting
the laws of local privacy and conflict for protecting privacy of users in the form of basic human right
(Mohammed et al., 2017). Moreover, they have been transparent regarding data collection and usage
such that the users are able to create informed decisions. Besides, they protect data that are entrusted
by users with strong encryption and security.
Ethics and Privacy Judgement:
As there are few ethical abilities from individual apart the liability rests to institute the
standards of the ethical conduct. This generates the situation of the social level morality for members
and employees. For Microsoft, the moral liability is also their legal liabilities. Lack of sanctions are
there in the code suggesting that no incentives are there to consider the ethical concerns of their
software system development and design. Any kind of failure for the information systems results the
unwillingness or inability. This is to be aware of human context. It indicates that higher attention

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must be provided to the perceptions of human beings regarding the ethically good and bad. This
would led to greater success for the success. With the ethical type of approach to system
development and design the denoting the problems are helpful to expect a larger likelihood of the
success of software (Zhao et al., 2017).
Conclusion:
Maximum of software must affect the human being’s behaviour that has never been
generated with the effective ethical constructs across that. The present day software developers must
ask the queries such what can that damage or who gets affected with that and to whom that brings
benefits and drawbacks. This is largely relying on what they perform and the kind of software they
have been working on. It can definitely be argued that nobody every can write the software despite
any software interfacing eventually with human. Human beings are the ultimate consumers and
develop software for making the life of human beings better. This can encourage the ad hoc
inclusion of the ethical questing for the process of development. Possible outcomes can be there for
the justices and perform anything to be unethical. Nonetheless, the ethics are never driven out
through punishments and just through mutual social advantage. Apart from that it is essential to
possess a framework to ask questions that are mainly open-ended. The one who are affected, and
what has been wrong with the software are to be found out. The things that people intent to do is to
ask questions and have that as the part of the cycle of software development.

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