Ethical and Legal Issues

There are a number of laws enacted to protect society from illegal behaviour, as was shown on the last few pages.

But computer systems also raise ethical issues that are not part of law.

For example, imagine a company that has employed a number of workers for years on their assembly line. Then a new computerised robot system becomes available that will do the work of half of them.

The new system will work 24 hours a day, without a break, without sick leave, absences or overtime. From a business point of view it makes sense to install the new system. But ethically the company also has an obligation to the displaced workers. Of course, there are employment laws to protect worker rights, but some companies may choose to go beyond those from an ethical point of view. http://www.teach-ict.com/gcse_computing/ocr/211_hardware_software/ethical/miniweb/pg7.htm
 * Other ethical issues include
 * Computing and privacy - who keeps what, when, for how long
 * Responsibility of computer professionals - being honourable engineers
 * Computing and disability - need to include as many people as possible
 * Computing and political freedom - ethics can raise some very tough questions