Contemporary Ethical Environment in Information Technology

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The technological changes witnessed in the field of information technology over the past two decades are nothing short of revolutionary. They have altered the manner in which people learn, travel, work, conduct business and entertain themselves. One evident result of this technological revolution is that it produces new challenges and ethical issues that must be dealt with. Some of these issues concern privacy, security, ownership and piracy. The underlying notion is that ethical complications arise as a result of the conflicts between varying interests (Hongladarom & Ess, 2007). These issues cannot be determined on the basis of individual interests only. Moreover, there are professional requirements for ethical behaviour that must be met by all players in the information technology industry. This paper will discuss the contemporary ethical environment in information technology with a focus on these professional requirements for ethical behaviour. It will argue that professional conduct is key to averting and resolving ethical conflicts that arise in information technology.
The word ethics refers to a collection of principles about right and wrong conduct within a society. Ethical behaviour conforms to generally accepted norms, most of which are universal (Reynolds, 2012). The range of ethical issues in information technology in broader than in any other industry. This is because of several defining features of information technology that create new ethical issues. These include the speed of information processing, the unlimited size of information storage capacity, the availability of information at any location and the easy reproduction of digital information (Schultz, 2006). Information technology professionals must adhere to ...

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...ence to the code of conduct set by the relevant professional body, and professional competence and integrity. Information technology professional must meet these and other requirements in order to uphold the reputation of the industry. After all, professional conduct is key to averting and resolving ethical conflicts that arise in information technology.

Works Cited

Bott, F. (2005). Professional Issues in Information Technology. Wiltshire, UK: British Computer Society.
Hongladarom, S. & Ess, C. (2007). Information Technology Ethics: Cultural Perspectives. London, UK: Idea Group.
Kizza, J.M. (2013). Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age. Chattanooga, TN: Springer.
Reynolds, G. (2012). Ethics in Information Technology (4th Ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.
Schultz, R. (2006). Contemporary Issues in Ethics and Information Technology. London, UK: IRM Press.

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