University Report: Ethics, Sustainability, and Social Impact in IT

This report delves into the critical intersection of ethics, sustainability, and social impact within the realm of information technology. It begins by examining the ethical considerations surrounding data privacy, law enforcement access to digital communications, and the protection of personal information, drawing parallels to traditional privacy measures. The report then explores the relevance of ethical principles in IT, providing examples such as personal privacy and access rights. Furthermore, it addresses the importance of closing the digital divide, highlighting its impact on economic equality and social mobility. The report also analyzes ethical principles in international business, including diversity policies and corporate social responsibility, and evaluates research methods used in relevant studies. It synthesizes key messages from these studies, focusing on labor practices in the retail clothing and ICT industries, and identifies common observations across them, offering a comprehensive overview of ethical challenges and opportunities in the digital age.

Ethics, Sustainability and
Social Impact

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK A...........................................................................................................................................3
1. Should law enforcement agencies be allowed unrestricted access to such complete and
intrusive information on people’s lives.......................................................................................3
2. What would be the worst-case scenario you could personally imagine in regard to
unrestricted access to the digital communications of the general population?...........................4
3. Should we afford data stored in private email accounts as much protection as letters in a
locked desk drawer, that is, stored where law enforcement agencies would otherwise need a
warrant to access and review the documents..............................................................................4
4. Describe which ethical principles are most relevant to information technology. Support
each of them with an example in relation to IT..........................................................................5
5. What are the arguments as to why closing the digital divide is important.............................5
TASK B...........................................................................................................................................6
1. Ethical principles most relevant to international business......................................................6
2. What were the research methods and were they sound...........................................................6
What are the key messages.........................................................................................................6
2. What were the research methods and were they sound...........................................................7
What are the key messages.........................................................................................................7
Are there any common observations to be made from both reports...........................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Ethics in current time is considered as the most prominent aspect which is required to be
followed by every business entity and law enforcement agencies. In this aspect data is regarded
as highly crucial which is held by every person or organisation in secured manner so that to
avoid any adverse impact to personal life or business entity (Arnott and et. al, 2020). In the
emerging trend of digital media people are storing there data on various tools such as clouds and
these are safe but at the same time high threat is pertained of intervention. This report is
explaining ethics and privacy concern associated with using IT as an emerging technology.
TASK A
1. Should law enforcement agencies be allowed unrestricted access to such complete and
intrusive information on people’s lives
The law enforcement in UK are working to implement law to general public and to serve
public in lawful manner. In UK law enforcement agencies are providing public response as in
relation to criminal justice and putting their efforts to prevent and investigate firearms offences.
In this manner these organisations are dealing with national security and recognising any
unknown situation that may cause domestic dispute. All these organisations are directly linked
with providing security to people living in UK and having obligation to secure data of them as
well.
The law enforcement agencies should be provided access of information in relation to
people's lives so that to provide security to them. In this manner this can be said that these
organisation should be allowed to access information on people's lives but at the same time to an
extent so that no security glitches can be faced by normal people. These organisation should not
be allowed to get unrestricted access of complete and intrusive information as this will invade
security and privacy concern of people and when unfortunately some data get leaked. When
restricted access to data is given to law enforcement agencies then this will help these agencies
and people to secure their data and deal with security measures as well (Jang and Oh, 2019).
Data is regarded as the crucial information which may create several disturbances and
interruptions in people lives. So this is imperative that restricted access are to be given so that
information of personal aspect could not be leaked but at the same time enforcement agencies get
to attain their objectives and provide higher security measures to people as well. As this is

observed that in order to catch criminals law enforcement agencies are required to get access
over data but when restrictions are imposed over these agencies then this would lead people to
manage their data with high safety and confidentiality.
2. What would be the worst-case scenario you could personally imagine in regard to unrestricted
access to the digital communications of the general population?
When unrestricted access to digital communication is provided to enforcement agencies
then this would create high chaos in respect of managing confidentiality of people. Enforcement
agencies are working in order to provide support to living people and to manage public order and
to punish those people who are detected with some crime or breach of law (Scholtens and van’t
Klooster, 2019.). If we talk about the worst-case scenario in relation to unrestricted access given
to digital communication to general public then this could be related to data theft and breach of
security measures. In the context of people security data is considered as the most confidential
and crucial aspect which is measured in terms of preventing the same from crime. A billions of
objections are being rendered over this and in terms of human interventions over data security
and this can be said that intervention of enforcement agencies can be dangerous for people at
some point of time. Internet is storing various crucial information of an individual which is
confidential and may create various adverse implications when leaked. When enforcement
agencies are involved in activities of taking care of people by utilising some crucial information
of them then implications may damage integrity of individual and enforcement agencies also. In
the situation of worst case scenario this can be said that people will loose confidentiality over
their data which may cause them personal ambiguity.
3. Should we afford data stored in private email accounts as much protection as letters in a
locked desk drawer, that is, stored where law enforcement agencies would otherwise need
a warrant to access and review the documents
In the current time of high tech IT, usage of IT over storing data is vastly used in order to
minimise any threat. For maintaining high security and data confidentiality clouds are used
which are safe as letters are stored in a desk drawer. In this manner by using differential
protection data can be secured over internet platform (Saxena and et. al, 2020). Enforcement
agencies may have access to these information and these agencies are crucially handling data in
specific way. Similarly dignity of an individual may be hurt when these information get leaked.
In order to minimise personal threat this is imperative that enforcement agencies are issued with

a warrant so that to acquire permission from authorised party in relation to access their
information. This will help the data to enhance it's confidentiality and reliability. Documents
kept with an individual is associated with high amount of privacy and management. In this
regard this is required that these information get stored at such places or clouds which are safe
and keeps high confidentiality (Reed and Meagher, 2019). As enforcement authority is having
access to these information so this becomes tough for individual to manage their dignity for
longer duration of time these authorities are required to obtain warrant to access the same.
4. Describe which ethical principles are most relevant to information technology. Support each
of them with an example in relation to IT.
There are various principles that are related to ethics in information technology and some
of them are elaborated as under:
 Personal privacy: This is one of the most significant ethical issue which is denoted as a
principle for person or business working in the field of IT. This principle enables the user
to get secured gateway of safeguarding their data in appropriate manner. In relation to IT
data security is the prominent aspect which is requisite to be inhaled so that to provide
privacy measures to users in optimal manner.
 Accessing rights: The another principle of IT is related with accessing rights as in
current time this has become the most emerging issue existed within IT industry. During
making payments this is necessary that unauthorised access are denied in order to
safeguard outside intrusions. This principle is wholly dedicated over managing external
threat which may hamper dignity of users. For instance when a person is making
payments with the help of internet then in order to prevent intrusion limited rights are
given to users and party associated with payment.
5. What are the arguments as to why closing the digital divide is important
Digital divide is defined as the gap existed between the people those are benefited from
digital and those who are not. Closing the digital divide is essential in order to provide various
benefits to people in relation to spreading economy (Denuwara, Maijala and Hakovirta, 2019).
Closing the gap is important and the prominent arguments are enlightened below:
Economic equality: By closing the gap for digital age economic inequality can be minimised
and resultantly equality can be rendered to all the people.

Social mobility: This is helpful in providing social equality and mobility as all the individual
will be having equivalent opportunity.
TASK B
1. Ethical principles most relevant to international business
Business ethics is playing significant role in dealing with international business
operations in which managers are dealing with explicit interactions. Without following ethical
principles variation in business may arise and the same may create complexities within business.
There are various principles which are required to be undertaken by international business so that
to provide ethical working to business and some of them are elaborated as under:
Diversity policy: This is the policy in which business is introducing diversity policies so that to
render inclusiveness within business (Noh and Johnson, 2019). This principle is helpful in
bringing innovativeness within business and to render fuller efficiency within business diversity
is helping in tremendous manner.
Corporate social responsibility: CSR is the another aspect which is required to be undertaken
by a business when they are expanding internationally. CSR is defined as responsibility towards
society and by implicating this principle within business high edge benefits can be attained. By
incorporating CSR appropriate responsibility in context of societal people can be exerted. This
could help in infiltrating nation business activities in managing the same in ethical manner.
2. What were the research methods and were they sound
Qualitative research method is used with this research and 135 people were interviewed
which includes leaders, workers, NGO's and unions. The research method used within this
research is effective and helped the researcher to draw appropriate outcomes. The primal
objective of this research is to identify exploitation within retail clothing industry. So by taking
interview as the major method of data collection the aim of research can be attained.
What are the key messages
The message generated through this research is that top brands such as Nike, H&M,
Primark are trying to violating basic rights of supply chain such as child labour, descending
working condition and many more. Besides this the research shows that business owners are
bringing various initiatives in relation to their branding and product differentiation so that to
inhale high automation. In this context these companies are changing recruitment strategies and

free pick and drop facilities to their workers so that living cost of their workers can be
minimised.
2. What were the research methods and were they sound
This research is based on quantitative data in which differentiated data in relation to 49
companies are taken. The research is soundly meeting their aims and objectives in prominent
manner. 49 largest information communication technology companies are combined with market
capitalisation and in this manner supply chain workers are free to bargain with appropriate
conditions. Under this research KnowTHeCHain has evaluated 49 largest ICT companies and
their efforts for addressing forced labour is examined.
What are the key messages
The major message through is that in order to bring prevention of addressing force labour
supply chain is facing numerous problem due to implication of COVID-19. The report is
analysing seven benchmarking theme in which recommendations to investor plan is also given
(Lengyel and et. al, 2019). The report is highlighting risk faced by forced labour within ICT
sector and practices that can be adopted by the companies for mitigating the same.
Are there any common observations to be made from both reports
Both the reports are highlighting issue of labour exploitation which is a major issue faced
by business and employees as well. In these reports ethical practices from an organisation is
demanded which are directly implicating with labours and their rights.
CONCLUSION
From the above report this can be summarised that ethics plays one of the prominent role
in managing the whole business in appropriate manner along with abiding with ethical
guidelines. Ethics helps a business to grow in substantial manner so that various issues can be
eradicated such as exploitation of labour, unfair pay, discrimination and forced labour. These
issues are limiting a business to grow and grasp opportunities which they are required to get so
that to attain aim and objectives. Besides this in IT sector various ethics principles are followed
by organisation so that to minimise threat to user and to provide safeguard to information of user.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Arnott, J. C. and et. al, 2020. Sponsoring actionable science: what public science funders can do
to advance sustainability and the social contract for science. Current Opinion in
Environmental Sustainability. 42. pp.38-44.
Denuwara, N., Maijala, J. and Hakovirta, M., 2019. Sustainability benefits of RFID technology
in the apparel industry. Sustainability. 11(22). p.6477.
Jang, Y. and Oh, Y., 2019. Impact of ethical factors on job satisfaction among Korean nurses.
Nursing ethics. 26(4). pp.1186-1198.
Lengyel, A. and et. al, 2019. Assessing the essential pre-conditions of an authentic sustainability
curriculum. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.
Noh, M. and Johnson, K.K., 2019. Effect of apparel brands’ sustainability efforts on consumers’
brand loyalty. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing. 10(1). pp.1-17.
Reed, M. and Meagher, L., 2019. Using evidence in environmental and sustainability issues.
What works now, pp.151-170.
Saxena, P. and et. al, 2020. Sustainability assessment for manufacturing operations. Energies.
13(11). p.2730.
Scholtens, B. and van’t Klooster, S., 2019. Sustainability and bank risk. Palgrave
Communications. 5(1), pp.1-8.