A code of ethics is a formal document and not just an “environment”, an “understanding”, a consensus, an “unwritten rule” or simply an aspect of “corporate culture”. This is at least one published document. In many organizations, employees are also required to sign a statement attesting that they have read and understood it. There are variations on this theme. In very large companies or companies that react to recent scandals, sometimes only senior managers or only tax officials have to sign. In other cases, there may be several codes of ethics suitable for functions such as purchasing, sales, accounting, etc. [1] A lawyer, as a member of the legal profession, is a representative of clients, an official of the legal system and a citizen of public law who has a special responsibility for the quality of the judiciary. [11] To the extent that lawyers respect the obligations of their professional vocation, there is no need for state regulation. Self-regulation also helps to preserve the independence of the legal profession from government rule. An independent legal profession is an important force in keeping the government before the law, as the abuse of legal authority is more easily challenged by a profession whose members do not depend on the government to exercise the law. The introduction of new technologies can have a profound impact on human behaviour. New technologies give us skills we didn`t have before, which in turn create environments and situations that haven`t been specifically addressed in ethical terms. Those who master new technologies acquire new power; Those who cannot or do not want to control it can lose power.
In 1913, Henry Ford set up the first mobile assembly line to create his Model T cars. Although this is a big step forward technologically (and economically), the assembly line has reduced the value of people in the production process. The development of the atomic bomb concentrated unimaginable power in the hands of a government that then had to struggle with the decision to use it. Today`s digital technologies have created new categories of ethical dilemmas. In Chapter 2, we got to know open source software. Open source software has little or no copyright restrictions; Software developers publish their code and make their software available to others for free use and distribution. That`s great for software, but what about other forms of copyrighted works? If an artist or writer wants to make their works available, how can they do so while protecting the integrity of their work? Creative Commons is the solution to this problem. In the case of ACM: “Compliance with a code of ethics by professionals is largely a voluntary issue.
However, if a member fails to comply with this Code by committing serious misconduct, membership in ACM may be terminated. Exclusion from the CMA may not have much impact on many people, as ACM membership is generally not a requirement for employment. However, the exclusion of other organizations, such as a state rights organization or a medical committee, could have huge implications. Nor should ethics be identified with religion. Most religions, of course, advocate high ethical standards. But if ethics were limited to religion, then ethics would only apply to religious people. But ethics applies to the behavior of the atheist as well as to that of the pious religious. Religion can set high ethical standards and provide intense motivations for ethical behavior. However, ethics cannot be limited to religion and is not the same as religion. At its virtual General Assembly in September, the International Federation for the Processing of Information (IFIP) adopted a new IFIP Code of Ethics and Conduct.
The Code was taken from the ACM Code of Ethics, which was consulted and developed even with members of IFIP, IEEE and other national and international organizations and companies. “As an international member of IFIP, ACM supports the draft IFIP Code of Ethics as a common international standard for computers and the profession,” said Vicki Hanson, CEO of ACM. Read the IFIP press release. Rapid changes in information technology in recent decades have brought a wide range of new capabilities and powers to governments, organizations and individuals. These new features required thoughtful analysis and the creation of new standards, regulations and laws. In this chapter, we have seen how intellectual property and privacy are affected by these new capabilities and how the regulatory environment has been modified to address them. Anderson, Ronald E. (1994).
“The CMA Code of Ethics: History, Process and Implications.” In Social Issues in Computing: Putting Computing in Its Place, edited by Chuck Huff and Thomas Finhold. New York: McGraw Hill. An excellent (and rare) description of writing a code of ethics in a large technology organization (with lots of details about the concessions involved). Sometimes ethics is opposed to morality in other ways: morality consists of the standards that every moral agent should follow.