Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  • Define professionalism, ethics, and morality.
  • Understand the importance of ethical behavior for IT professionals.
  • Identify the major ethical issues in computing (privacy, accuracy, property, accessibility).
  • Explain the purpose of a professional code of ethics.
  • Apply a simple framework to an ethical dilemma.

Professionalism, Ethics, and Morality

As an IT professional, you will have access to sensitive information and powerful tools. It is therefore critical to have a strong understanding of professionalism and ethics.

  • Morality: Refers to an individual’s own personal principles regarding right and wrong.

  • Ethics: Refers to the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group or culture. In this context, it refers to the standards of right and wrong that guide the behavior of IT professionals.

  • Professionalism: The competence or skill expected of a professional. This includes not only technical competence but also a commitment to ethical behavior.

Law vs ethics

Law is enforced by the state and carries penalties. Ethics goes further: an act can be legal but unethical. For example, collecting every contact from a user’s phone may be technically allowed by an app’s terms, yet it is unethical if users do not understand what they agreed to.

Characteristics of an IT professional

  • Competence — keeps skills up to date and takes only work they can do well.
  • Integrity and honesty — reports problems truthfully, even their own mistakes.
  • Confidentiality — protects client and employer data.
  • Accountability — takes responsibility for the systems they build and manage.
  • Respect for law — follows licensing, copyright, and data protection rules.

Key Ethical Issues in IT (PAPA)

Richard Mason grouped the main information ethics issues into four areas, remembered as PAPA:

Issue Question it asks Example
Privacy What personal information may be collected and shared? Selling customer phone numbers to telemarketers
Accuracy Who is responsible for errors in information? A wrong credit record denying someone a loan
Property Who owns information and software? Installing pirated software in an office
Accessibility Who can access information, and on what terms? Websites that blind users cannot read

Other common issues include workplace monitoring, AI bias, hacking, plagiarism, and the digital divide.

A Professional Code of Ethics

Many professional organizations, such as the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), have established a code of ethics that their members are expected to follow. These codes provide a set of principles and guidelines for ethical decision-making in the profession.

The ACM Code of Ethics asks computing professionals to:

  • Contribute to society and human well-being.
  • Avoid harm.
  • Be honest and trustworthy.
  • Be fair and take action not to discriminate.
  • Respect the work required to produce new ideas and creative works.
  • Respect privacy.
  • Honor confidentiality.

The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

Published by the Computer Ethics Institute, these are a popular exam topic:

  1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
  2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people’s computer work.
  3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people’s computer files.
  4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
  5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
  6. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.
  7. Thou shalt not use other people’s computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.
  8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people’s intellectual output.
  9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing.
  10. Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.

Resolving an Ethical Dilemma

A simple approach:

  1. Identify the facts — what is happening, and who is affected?
  2. Identify the stakeholders — users, employer, customers, society.
  3. List the options — including doing nothing.
  4. Test each option — Is it legal? Does it follow the code of ethics? Would I be comfortable if it were made public?
  5. Decide and act, then accept responsibility for the outcome.

Scenario: a database administrator at a Nepali finance company is asked by a manager to quietly share a list of customers’ phone numbers with a partner insurance company. The data was collected only for loan processing. Sharing it breaks customer trust, violates the privacy principle, and may break the law on personal data. The professional response is to decline, explain the risk, and suggest asking customers for consent first.

Nepal context

  • The Electronic Transactions Act, 2063 (2008) makes unauthorized access, data theft, and publishing illegal material online punishable offences, so some unethical acts are also crimes.
  • The Privacy Act, 2075 (2018) sets rules on collecting and using personal information.
  • Professional bodies such as the CAN Federation promote responsible ICT practice in Nepal.

Summary

For IT professionals, technical skill is not enough. It must be paired with a commitment to professionalism and ethical conduct. While morality is personal, ethics provides a shared set of principles for a profession. Issues of privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility arise daily, and professional codes of ethics—such as the ACM Code and the Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics—help IT professionals make responsible decisions.

Key Takeaways

  • Morality is personal; ethics are professional standards; law is enforced by the state.
  • Professionalism includes both technical competence and ethical behavior.
  • PAPA: privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility are the core information ethics issues.
  • Professional codes of ethics provide guidance for ethical decision-making.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why is a code of ethics particularly important for IT professionals?
  2. Can an action be legal but unethical? Provide an example.
  3. Look up the ACM Code of Ethics. What is one of its core principles?

Exam-Style Questions

Short answer

  1. Differentiate between ethics and morality.
  2. What is a professional code of ethics? Why is it needed?
  3. Write any five of the Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics.

Long answer

  1. Explain the major ethical issues in information technology with examples.
  2. “Technical skill without ethics is dangerous.” Discuss with reference to the responsibilities of IT professionals.