The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

Computer Ethics

Ethics deals with placing a “value” on acts according to whether they are “good” or “bad”. Every society has its rules about whether certain acts are ethical or not. These rules have been established as a result of consensus in society and are often written into laws.

When computers first began to be used in society at large, the absence of ethical standards about their use and related issues caused some problems. However, as their use became widespread in every facet of our lives, discussions in

computer ethics resulted in some kind of a consensus. Today, many of these rules have been formulated as laws, either national or international. Computer crimes and computer fraud are now common terms. There are laws against them, and everyone is responsible for knowing what constitutes computer crime and computer fraud.

The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics were created in 1992 by the Computer Ethics Institute. The commandments were introduced in the paper "In Pursuit of a 'Ten Commandments' for Computer Ethics" by Ramon C. Barquin as a means to create "a set of standards to guide and instruct people in the ethical use of computers." The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics copies the style of the Ten Commandments from The Bible and uses the archaic "thou shalt" and "thou shalt not" found in the King James version.

The commandments have been widely quoted in computer ethics literature but also have been criticized by both the hacker community and some in academia. For instance, Dr. Ben Fairweather of the "Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility" has described them as "simplistic" and overly restrictive.

The CISSP — an organization of computer security professionals — has used the commandments as a foundation for its own ethics rules.

The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics have been defined by the Computer Ethics Institute. Here is our interpretation of them:

1.    Thou shalt not use a computer in ways that may harm people.

If it is unethical to harm people by making a bomb, for example, it is equally bad to write a program that handles the timing of the bomb. Or, to put it more simply, if it is bad to steal and destroy other people’s books and notebooks, it is equally bad to access and destroy their files.

2.   Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.

Computer viruses are small programs that disrupt other people’s computer work by destroying their files, taking huge amounts of computer time or memory, or by simply displaying annoying messages. Generating and consciously spreading computer viruses is unethical.

3.   Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.

Reading other people’s e-mail messages is as bad as opening and reading their letters: This is invading their privacy. Obtaining other people’s non-public files should be judged the same way as breaking into their rooms and stealing their documents. Text documents on the Internet may be protected by encryption.

4.   Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.

Using a computer to break into the accounts of a company or a bank and transferring money should be judged the same way as robbery. It is illegal and there are strict laws against it.

5.   Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.

The Internet can spread untruth as fast as it can spread truth. Putting out false "information" to the world is bad. For instance, spreading false rumors about a person or false propaganda about historical events is wrong.

6.   Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.

Software is an intellectual product. In that way, it is like a book: Obtaining illegal copies of copyrighted software is as bad as photocopying a copyrighted book. There are laws against both. Information about the copyright owner can be embedded by a process called  watermarking into pictures in the digital format.

7.   Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.

Multiuser systems use user id’s and passwords to enforce their memory and time allocations, and to safeguard information.  You should not try to bypass this authorization system. Hacking a system to break and bypass the authorization is unethical.

8.   Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.

For example, the programs you write for the projects assigned in this course are your own intellectual output. Copying somebody else’s program without proper authorization is software piracy and is unethical. Intellectual property is a form of ownership, and may be protected by copyright laws.

9.   Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing.

You have to think about computer issues in a more general social framework: Can the program you write be used in a way that is harmful to society? For example, if you are working for an animation house, and are producing animated films for children, you are responsible for their contents. Do the animations include scenes that can be harmful to children? In the United States, the Communications Decency Act was an attempt by lawmakers to ban certain types of content from Internet websites to protect young children from harmful material. That law was struck down because it violated the free speech principles in that country's constitution. The discussion, of course, is going on.

10.Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.

Just like public buses or banks, people using computer communications systems may find themselves in situations where there is some form of queuing and you have to wait for your turn and generally be nice to other people in the environment. The fact that you cannot see the people you are interacting with does not mean that you can be rude to them.

Meaning of each Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

Every sphere of life is guided by a set of rules of what is right and what is wrong. The difference between the 'right' and the 'wrong' has to be demarcated in any walk of life. With the development of technology and the increase in its use, society had to confront ethical issues relating to the harnessing of technology. Every science of life needs to base itself on ethics and so does computer technology! The Computer Ethics Institute came up with The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics, in 1992. The intent behind the creation of these Ten Commandments was to establish a set of standards to instruct people to use computers ethically. 

Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people. 
This commandment makes clear that it is unethical to use a computer to harm another user. It includes harming or corrupting some other user's data or files. The commandment states that it is wrong to steal someone's personal information by means of a computer. It is unethical to manipulate or destroy the files of other people through the use of a computer. It iterates the fact that writing a programs intended to bring perform ethically wrong actions, is in itself unethical. 

Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work. 
Viruses are small programs built with intent to harm or disrupt the useful computer programs. Some viruses aim at overloading the computer memory by an excessive use of computer resources. These viruses tend to fail a computer in executing the desired tasks. They lead to the dysfunction of a computer. The development or the spread of such malicious software in unethical. 

Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's files. 
We know that it is wrong to read another person's letters. On similar lines, it is unethical to read another person's email messages. Obtaining another person's private files is as wrong as breaking into someone's room. Snooping around in another person's files or reading someone else's personal messages is the invasion of his/her privacy. In order to protect the information from being attacked, it is ethical to apply encryption schemes to it. 

Thou shalt not use a computer to steal. 
The stealing of sensitive information such as the personal information of the employees from an employee database, or breaking into bank accounts for the retrieval of confidential information is nothing less than robbery. An illegal electronic transfer of funds is one type of a fraud. 

Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness. 
Computers are the easiest sources of spreading information to the masses by means of Internet. This also means that false news or rumors can spread speedily and easily through the Internet. Being involved in the circulation of incorrect information is unethical. Spreading the wrong information by means of Internet is like taking an undue advantage of technology. 

Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid. 
Like any other artists or literary work, software is also subject to copyrights. Software is the outcome of a programmer's intellect and it is important to respect talent and give due regard to his/her rights. Obtaining illegal copies of copyrighted software is unethical. 

Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization. 
Multi-user systems are supported by user specific ids and passwords. Breaking into some other user's password, thus indulging into his private space on the network is unethical. It is not ethical to hack passwords for gaining an unauthorized access to a password-protected computer system. 

Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output. 
Programs developed by a programmer in an organization are his/her property. Copying them and propagating them in one's own name is unethical. A creative work, a program or a design that a particular employee comes up with, is his/her ownership. It is the output of someone's intellect and efforts. Copying it with selfish intentions is indeed not ethical. 

Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you write. 
Looking at the social consequences that a program can have, describes a broader perspective of looking at technology. A computer program goes a long way to reach homes of the masses. In case a person is working for animation films or he/she is designing a video game, it is the programmers responsibility to pay heed to the effects of his/her creation. In case of software, it is important for the programmer to realize the prospective use of the software. Writing a virus, when one knows that it is going to serve as a malware, is indeed unethical. If a particular content is intended for children or when children are prone to gain access to the content, it is necessary for the creator of such content to be careful about the social consequences it is bound to have. 

Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect. 
In the real world, we face situation wherein we need to be courteous to our fellow mates. Many times, we need to cooperate with them and give each of the fellow individuals the consideration due. On similar lines, while interacting through a computer, a person needs to be nice to the ones he/she interacts with. 

The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics are the means to build a set of regulations to guide the individual users to base computer related operations on strong ethical values. The commandments are a way to make people understand the ethics involved in the use of technology.

For me the commandments here are a bit simplistic but that argument can be made about most lists of ethical practices. The proof is in the implementation and how the spirit of the commandment is interpreted and not just in the literal words of it. I know other students who would ignore commandments 3 (snooping) and 7 (unauthorized use) as they see the world as their playground and believe they have rights to go anywhere and use anything that they are not physically restrained from doing. Commandment 6 (dealing with proprietary software) is anathema to people who believe that proprietary software is itself unethical. Is there middle ground on this issue?