Ethical Issues in Information System

This article is based on the Ethical Issues encountered in Information System. 

In University Exams "Different Ethical Issues in Information System" is frequently asked question along with Information System Types.

Ethics is moral rules, standards, codes or principles which provide guidelines for right and truthful behavior in specific situations. Ethical issues occur when a given decision, scenario or activity creates a conflict with a society's moral principles.

There are four categories of ethical issues-

    a) Privacy issues

    b) Accuracy issues

    c) Property issues

    d) Accessibility issues

 

A) Privacy Issues -

It involves collecting, storing and distributing Information about individuals or organizations. It includes what information must be revealed to others and what information must be kept safeguard from others.

B) Accuracy Issues -

It involves the authenticity, fidelity and accuracy of information that is collected and processed.

C) Property Issues -

It involves the ownership and rights of the information.

D) Accessibility Issues –

It involves who should have access to what information and whether that access must be free or paid.

 

Tenets are the beliefs which the organization or individuals follow. The fundamental tenets of ethics are –

a. Responsibility - It means that one should accept the consequences of their decisions and actions.

b. Accountability - It refers to determining who is responsible for actions that were taken.

c. Liability - It gives the Individual, the right to recover the damages done to them by other individuals or organizations.

There are four widely used ethical standards to minimize ethical issues.

They are - Utilitarian approach, Rights approach, Fairness approach and Common good approach.

a) Utilitarian Approach- The utilitarian approach states that an ethical action is the one that provides the most good or does the least harm.

b) Rights Approach - The rights approach maintains that on ethical action is the one that best protects and respects the moral rights of the affected parties.

c) Fairness Approach - The fairness approach posits that ethical actions treat all individuals equally and if treated unequally then it must be fair on some standard basis.

d) Common good approach - The common good approach highlights the interlocking relationships that underlie all societies. This approach argues that respect and compassion for all others is the basis for ethical actions.