Ethics in the Digital Age, Essay Example

The increasing dependence on digital information and technology has had profound implications on safety, legal, and ethical concerns.  These concerns are predicated on the basic preconceptions that challenge the use of these sources.  Safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology is, therefore, an important consideration to analyze.  In looking at current research regarding digital information and technology, it becomes evident that the implications of these developments have led to the need to challenge current perspectives regarding the safe, legal, and ethical use of this information.  In understanding these underlying concerns a more coherent framework for the implementation of policies regarding these issues can be developed.

The fast-paced development of modern technological innovations present a challenge to policy makers, educators, and businesses as they must develop strategies that are meant to deal with these concerns.  “The two key forces having a deep impact on society are uniformly recognized as being the Internet, leading to the digital revolution, and the globalization, with its deep impact on legal information” (Germain 3).  The dynamic circumstances present the need to better understand the impact that these developments have had on the underlying considerations that these groups must have for the safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information.  Their considerations are, therefore, necessary in implementing effective means of dealing with these problems.

The underlying challenge is in developing strategies that can compete with the complicated aspects that are involved with these implications.  Consideration, therefore, must be given for the effects that these aspects will have on the development of strategies to contend with these difficult circumstances.  “This complex, controversial, and synergistic process combines technology in communications and transportation with the deregulation of markets and open borders to lead to vastly expanded flows of people, money, goods, services, and information” (Germain 3).  In analyzing the issues involved with the safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information a more thorough knowledge of the facts can help to establish a more coherent framework for managing the implications of these challenges.

Safety is one of the most important considerations regarding digital information and technology.  This includes safety of not only people, but safety of data as well.  The growing dependence of the economic and social realms has resulted in concerns over the safety of digital information such as personal and banking data.  “Threats to keeping content safe over protracted timescales include: technology failures, economic failures, and social failures” (Reich 1).  These concerns demonstrate the underlying implications that the increasing connectivity has had on the underlying structures of society.  Beyond personal safety, digital technology and information present challenges to the safety of the overall public well-being.

This is evident in the increasing need for people to share private information such as their histories and locations.  The growing dependence on these forms of technology has created a situation in which this is becoming the norm.  Furthermore, the abstract nature of online information sharing presents a challenge to personal privacy.  “Today’s architectures not only allow this information to be replicated on third-party application servers, but some actually require it” (Viswanath 1).  Lapses in personal data safety can have an effect on an individual’s personal safety as well.  The need for safety and the need for privacy are, therefore, inherently connected.

This has developed into a situation in which there is a constant need to monitor the privacy, and the safety, of those who are taking part in online activities.  This has to do with their psychological as well as physical safety.  For instance, when conducting online research, “there is the constant possibility that students will be exposed to harmful information” (Shin 184).  This is a concern for parents who are worried that their children may be exposed to information that is beyond their emotional level.  While filters can help they have issues working with specific information.

The privacy of an individual is an important aspect in regards to their ability to maintain safety in the digital age.  This is especially true when taking part in online social activities.  It is evident that “the possibility of violations of privacy when personal information is posted to bulletin boards, e-mails, text messages, or blogs-personal information may be exposed, and there is a constant risk of information being disclosed to unwanted third parties” (Shin 184).  While these sources may be protected or monitored it is difficult to ensure complete safety from information leaks that could potentially put them at harm.  This is due to the nature of online activity.

Legal considerations are also important in the changing landscape of digital information and technology.  The aspects of digital medium have proven difficult to ascribe binding legal principles to.  For instance, digital copies of books have had a profound impact on the capabilities of copyright law.  “The rapidly evolving technological changes and ever expanding digital libraries have created a new set of problems unheard of in the print world, because of the different medium” (Germain 13).  This presents evidence of new challenges facing the legal implications of digital trends.  The changing nature of media into digitized form has, therefore, challenged traditional ideas of ownership rights.

Another issue that must be considered in regards to digital information is the susceptibility that it has to falsification.  This has resulted in the implications of uncertainty in regards to information gathered from online sources.  This is due to the fact that “there is no organized control of information, it is hard to know what you are missing, and if the information you find is accurate and authoritative” (Germain 13).  These concerns demonstrate the need to establish practical legal applications of the law to the digitization of books, movies, music, and other medium.  In doing so, a more effective means of dealing with these changing definitions can be reached.

Another important consideration regarding the susceptibility of digitized information to falsification is the development of legal information.  This presents profound consequences regarding the availability and control of this information.  There would also be concerns regarding information loss in the case of legal information.  “Beyond the technical problems related to the fragility of the digital medium, there are a number of financial, legal, and policy issues at stake with digital information” (Germain 17).  This presents a challenge to the idea that digitization would provide safeguards from any sort of information loss.  For this reason, it would be necessary “to make sure that in a paperless world there will be a permanent record of the law in its many forms, and that the document will be authentic” (Germain 17).

Ethical concerns of digital information and technology involve aspects such as participation and control.  In relation to the digitization of information, it is important to consider the availability of this information to the general public as well as the implication so fair and equal access rights for individuals.  These needs are fundamentally grounded in the ability to participate in the democratic process.  “A citizen’s effective participation in a democratic society grounded in information technologies (ITs) is linked increasingly to his or her ability to understand both the nature of, and implications surrounding, the very technologies that are used in democratic decision-making processes” (Haque 1).

Another important implication of digital information is the control of that information.  The capability for developments in technology to limit access or to place control of information in the hands of a few should be considered.  This is due to the power that is inherent in information and the tendency for individuals or groups to attempt to consolidate power.  “The control of the means of production of information becomes ever more important because that is what leads to power and ultimately control of knowledge” (Haque 3).  This is an important development that must be considered.

Location tracking is a consideration of digital information with profound implications.  The complexity of data analysis has rendered location information a dangerous tool in the wrong hands.  “By portraying real world data as maps, GIS provides unparalleled power to analyze social, economic, and political circumstances” (Haque 6).  This power presents a dangerous implication of the rise of dependence on digital technology for social and economic needs.  These needs, with a growing relationship with these digital capabilities, become essentially dependent on these aspects of development.

References

Germain, C.M. (2007). Legal Information Management in a global and Digital Age: Revolution and Tradition. Cornell Law Faculty Publications, 73, 1-27.

Haque, A. (2001). Ethical Implications of Information Technology in Government: A Closer Look at GIS. The Journal of Urban Technology, 1-21.

Reich, V., Rosenthal, D.S.H. (2009).Distributed Digital Preservation: Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe. Stanford, 1-5.

Shin, S.K. (2015). Teaching Critical, Ethical, and Safe Use of ICT in Pre-Service Teacher Education. Language Learning & Technology, 19(1), 181-197.

Viswanat, B., Kiciman, E., Saroiu, S. (2012). Keeping Information Safe from Social Networking Apps. WOSN, 1-6.