Overview

Information ethics is the branch of ethics that focuses on the relationship between the creation, organization, dissemination, and use of information, and the ethical standards and moral codes governing human conduct in society.

Core Idea

The core idea is that information is power, and with the digital revolution, the way we handle information (privacy, access, censorship) has profound moral implications.

Formal Definition

It deals with the ethical questions surrounding intellectual property, privacy, freedom of information, and the digital divide.

Intuition

  • Privacy: If you tell a secret to a friend, they shouldn’t tell everyone. In the digital age, Google and Facebook know your secrets. Do they have a right to sell them?
  • Fake News: Is it ethical to spread information you know is false? Is it ethical for a platform to host it?

Examples

  • Surveillance Capitalism: The business model of tracking users to sell targeted ads (Shoshana Zuboff).
  • The Digital Divide: The gap between those who have access to the internet and those who don’t, creating inequality in opportunity.
  • Hacking: Is “hacktivism” (hacking for a political cause) ethical?

Common Misconceptions

  • Misconception: Information is neutral.
    • Correction: Algorithms can be biased (e.g., facial recognition working poorly on minorities), and the design of platforms influences behavior.
  • Misconception: “I have nothing to hide.”
    • Correction: Privacy is about autonomy and power, not just hiding crimes.
  • Computer Ethics: A subset focusing specifically on computing technology.
  • Intellectual Property: The ethics of copyright, patents, and “piracy.”
  • Open Source: An ethical movement promoting free access to software code.

Applications

  • Libraries: Librarians have a strong code of ethics regarding patron privacy and intellectual freedom.
  • AI Ethics: (Overlaps heavily) How to ensure AI uses data ethically.

Criticism and Limitations

  • Lag: Technology moves faster than ethics/law, leaving us constantly playing catch-up.
  • Global Standards: The internet is global, but ethical standards (e.g., regarding free speech vs. hate speech) vary by culture.

Further Reading

  • The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff
  • Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace by Lawrence Lessig
  • Information Ethics: Privacy, Property, and Power by Adam Moore