IT Ethics: Privacy Concerns and Resolution Strategies Report

This report delves into the ethical considerations surrounding information and communication technology (ICT), with a specific focus on privacy issues. It begins by analyzing a news article discussing the growing importance of online privacy and the potential tipping point it will reach. The report then applies four classical ethical theories—utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and social contract theory—to scrutinize the privacy concerns highlighted in the article, examining the rightness and wrongness of actions related to data security. The analysis emphasizes the importance of maintaining user privacy to foster trust and ensure the success of businesses. Finally, the report suggests various solutions for resolving privacy issues, including the use of ad blockers, legal actions against violators, strong password practices, anti-virus tools, and firewalls. It underscores the shared responsibility of both IT companies and users in maintaining a high level of data protection and security. The report concludes by emphasizing the ongoing efforts of major IT companies to prioritize customer data privacy and security.

Topics in IT Ethics
Privacy will Hit Tipping Point in 2016
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Discussion........................................................................................................................................2
Classical Ethical Theories...........................................................................................................3
Resolution of Ethical Issue of Privacy.........................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8
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Introduction
Information Communication and Technology (ICT) is considered as extended version of
Information Technology that has used in every business organization, other workplaces and also
at homes by common users. ICT is an integration of telecommunications, computers and other
important enterprise software and all these things help individuals to perform their different
business activities. If ICT has several benefits then there are also some security and privacy
related issues of ICT that cannot be ignored and causing problems for its all potential users. The
purpose of making this report is to identify ICT-related ethical issue by analyzing a news article.
Here I have selected a news article regarding ethical issue of privacy in ICT. Every user that is
using ICT wants privacy for his or her information that is transferred over network while
communication, but due to advancement in hacking activities, privacy has being demolished by
hackers.
Discussion
The selected article is “Privacy will hit tipping point in 2016”. This article is concerned with
online privacy of our data. According to this article, the sustainability of online privacy will
become so important in upcoming years due to demand of greater protection against hacking
issues. It is analyzed that all business organizations that gather and store personal data of users
are at high risk because hackers mostly attract towards databases of these business organizations.
In this case, privacy is the main ICT ethical issue to resolve by security experts to maintain the
trust of customers. Now in upcoming paragraphs, I will emphasize on scrutiny of article by four
classical ethical theories such as utilitarianism, deontology, virtue and contract (Taylor, 2017).
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Classical Ethical Theories
Utilitarianism
This ethical theory keeps focus on right and wrong results of an action or policy. Moreover, this
theory defines that a best selected option should be able to enhance maximum utility. If I analyze
article on behalf of this classical theory then I can say that also in this article, those options are
mentioned to use that can provide maximum security and privacy to customers’ data. Besides
this, article has also described positive outcomes of maintaining privacy and negative result of
not using tools for long term security and privacy of data (SearchCIO, 2017).
Deontology
This classical ethical theory is based on morality of certain duties or claims and defined that
these actions are right or wrong in themselves (Riemysore.ac.in, 2017). Eventually, this classical
theory identifies that which thing can make an action right rather than emphasizing on
consequences of actions. In article, the main requirement is maintenance of privacy of data of
users. It is a right action and must be taken by business organizations those collect users’ data.
This will result in increment in believe of customers on company and performance of company
will be improved (Techterms.com, 2017).
Virtue
Besides above discussed two classical ethical theories, another ethical theory is virtue. This
theory claims that ethics are related to representatives not actions or consequences. This theory
basically emphasize on development of good habits of a particular personality
(Sevenpillarsinstitute.org, 2017). It means virtue believes in creation of good character traits and
avoid bad character traits. If I analyze the article on behalf of virtue theory then I can say that
here individuals in companies like Google, Apple and Facebook are doing all efforts to enhance
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privacy of their customers for long time and also introducing new security tools. Whether people
has encountered some issues of privacy due to services of these companies but still these can be
ignored due to their best efforts for maintaining privacy in future (Austin, 2017).
Contract
This theory is also known as social contract theory. According to this theory, morality is set of
rules that allow everyone to live in society together. Furthermore, this theory also believes in the
concept that moral and political duties of individuals depend on contract or an agreement among
them. In analysis of privacy of content I can say that there is always a contract between business
organization and customer that company will maintain holistic privacy and security of their
information into its databases. Only on the behalf of this contract, both entities can work
together.
In this way, on the behalf of above analysis, I can say that the selected media article has similar
perspectives according to classical theories. In above discussion, the rightness and wrongness of
every action of article is defined properly. Lack of privacy is eventually a critical issue and must
be controlled quickly according to requirements.
Resolution of Ethical Issue of Privacy
The above discussed issue of privacy and security is necessary to resolve. There are several tools
and techniques are available that can be used to maintain long term privacy of customer’s data.
As per given in media article, ad blocking is one of the best way to sustain privacy of customers’
data. Hackers try to attach vulnerable ads with online products and services of organizations and
when those products are downloaded by users into their computers, then ads automatically
opened and reside virus into database and computers. In this case ad blocker will be helpful to
restrict ads to enter into computer systems (Ruslim, 2017).
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Furthermore, legal action can be taken against privacy violators (Luceo.net, 2017). A new
general data protection regulation has set by European Union (Spot.colorado.edu, 2017). Any
company or an individual will violate the regulations, they have to pay the fine up to five percent
of worldwide revenues.
Any kind of security and privacy breach is result of poor performance and bad habits of not
follow security measures properly by a user. This is not right and lead to high security issues. It
is responsibility of user that he or she should lock their system while not using and it can be done
by using login credentials such as username and passwords. The password should be too strong
to guess. It is also an effective way to get prevention from data security and privacy.
Besides this, anti-virus tools can also be used to prevent virus attacks. Anti-virus is a software
that must be installed into computer system. Whenever a new entity enters into computer system
then entity can be scanned by anti-virus. If there will be any virus into entity then anti-virus will
give alert to user about threat and user can fix that virus. It is one of effective security tools. Like
anti-virus, firewall is an in-built software into operating system that also restrict vulnerable
objects to enter into system. But it should be in on mode.
In business organizations and other workplaces where ICT related applications are used, there
above discussed solutions can be used. While purchasing products online, people do online
transactions. In this situation, privacy can be leaked of credit card information and personal
details of user. Therefore, it is responsibility of merchant to manage customers’ transactions and
find another secure ways to collect customers’ data. It is suggested by security experts that here
loyalty programs can be developed by retailers and e-receipts should be generated appropriately
for maintaining records. So these are some significant solutions to resolve ethical issue of
privacy.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, all IT giant companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft and others are serious
about security and privacy of their customers’ data. That is why with its enormous services and
products, these are also given priority to high level of protection from cyber-criminals. Not only
at developers’ end but also at users’ end privacy should be maintained at high level.
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References
Taylor, H. (2017). Privacy will hit tipping point next year: Study. CNBC. Retrieved 12
September 2017, from https://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/09/privacy-will-hit-tipping-point-
in-2016.html
SearchCIO. (2017). What is ICT (information and communications technology, or
technologies)? - Definition from WhatIs.com. (2017). Retrieved 12 September 2017,
from http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/ICT-information-and-communications-
technology-or-technologies
Techterms.com. (2017). ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) Definition.
Retrieved 12 September 2017, from https://techterms.com/definition/ict
Sevenpillarsinstitute.org. (2017). Moral Theories. Retrieved 12 September 2017, from
http://sevenpillarsinstitute.org/morality-101/moral-traditions
Austin. (2017). Chapter 6 - Four Classic Theories of Ethics, The Ethical Journalist, ….
Slideshare.net. Retrieved 12 September 2017, from
https://www.slideshare.net/laustinnc/chapter-6-4-classic-theories-of-ethics?
next_slideshow=1
Ruslim. (2017). Ethical theories. Slideshare.net. Retrieved 12 September 2017, from
https://www.slideshare.net/NicolasRuslim/ethical-theories-40471063
Opentextbc.ca. (2017). 2.9 Social Contract Theory | Ethics in Law Enforcement. Retrieved 12
September 2017, from https://opentextbc.ca/ethicsinlawenforcement/chapter/2-9-social-
contract-theory/
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Riemysore.ac.in. (2017). Unit - 1 : Information and Communication Technology | first. Retrieved
12 September 2017, from
http://www.riemysore.ac.in/ict/unit__1__information_and_communication_technology.ht
ml
Luceo.net. (2017). Modern and Classical Ethical Theories – Luceo Magazine. Retrieved 12
September 2017, from https://luceo.net/ethics/
Spot.colorado.edu. (2017). LectureforExercise1.html. Retrieved 12 September 2017, from
http://spot.colorado.edu/~tooley/Lecture3-EthicalTheories.html
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