Ethics and Legality in Technology: Questions & Concerns

Introduction

Current legal issues of concern in technology include: elements of contracting, payment systems, digital signatures, privacy concerns, intellectual property, business torts, and criminal liability, including hacking, computer trespass, and fraud. Some of the ethical issues include privacy, system abuse, and ethical practices in technology. All these help users to make sound ethical choices and resolve legal and moral issues that arise in technology

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Questions of ethics and legality are very essential in many industries. Practitioners in various sectors have legal and ethical oversight to control how their professions function. Information technology, by contrast, has no overarching standardization in place. According to (Dudley, Braman, & Vincenti, 2012), some of the most pressing constitutional and legal issues confronting technology today are as follows;

Privacy

Typically, everyone has their personal information spread out across the digital world. We usually have a notion that our data is secure. However, such information, which generally includes things like emails and private accounts, can easily be accessed by unauthorized and unintended sources or users. For example, there is a tendency by most employers to check their employees' computer habits actively. The issue of concern here is, are people aware that their accounts are under continuous monitoring? Moreover, to what extent is the monitoring occurring? Ultimately, monitoring denies individuals the right to privacy.

Access Costs

Of late, several legislative efforts have led to net neutrality. Access to the net remains a big question of net neutrality. There is a debate on whether to permit internet access to everyone or only create access to those who can afford to pay? It poses a question on whether or not digital exchange is a universal right. There is no separation between working with technology and ethical contexts. However, this helps to define a legal and ethical code for future generations.

Security Liability

Previously, security issues got resolved by locking a door. However, with increased security comes increased surveillance. All security systems have associated risks. It is not yet clear as to what risks are involved, what risks are acceptable, and what risks can be protected. Therefore, it is prudent for IT practitioners to ultimately balance risk with the liberty to create a practical but ethical security system.

Data Gathering

There exists a common notion that our online lives are continually under surveillance. There has been a constant debate on what kind of information the government can gather and for what reason. It is not clear what type of data can be collected. However, questions arise concerning the issue of consent. Are users aware that their information and activities are under surveillance? Are they knowledgeable about how their data is likely to be utilized?

Digital Ownership

Digital mediums have enabled more free flow of information to flow than before, which comes with a legal and ethical backlash. It is easy to copy and paste things online, thereby making it challenging to control intellectual property. Some legal notions like copyright have been grappling with the advancements witnessed in the digital error. For instance, most companies in the entertainment industry have been pushing for strong legal protections for intellectual properties.

Relationship Between Technology and Crime

There exists a connection between technology and crime. Technological advances contribute heavily to the emergence of new forms and trends in crime. Also, rapid advancement in technology assist society in surveillance and combating crime (Shapland, Knepper, & Doak, 2009).Rapid developments are evident concerning the use of technology in the fight against crime and enforcing the law. Technological advances like predictive analytics, biometrics, and drones have made law enforcement and the fight against crime effective and efficientAccording to (Hofman, 2020), there are cutting-edge technologies in the 21st century transforming crime prevention and combat. Due to rapid changes in crime brought about by the digital era, there is a need for police officers to be flexible and figure out how to respond quickly and deal with new and emerging cybercrimes, while addressing crimes at the same time.

Police officers increasingly realize the significance of high-performance connectivity. Connectivity provides real-time access to applications needed to check the validity and authenticity of identification documents like passports and driver's licenses .Drone technology has been in use for a while as a cheaper alternative to helicopters in some roles. They are usually unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with cameras that proven so successful. For instance, In the US, Larimer County, Colorado law enforcement agencies are now using drones to investigate fatal and severe accident scenes. The use of drones in crash investigations to take detailed photographs has enabled faster evidence gathering and swift opening of roads.

Police forces are starting to use big data, machine learning, and predictive analytics to understand and combat crime. Data harvested from the Internet by police can be analyzed to create a picture of crime patterns and trends. By applying predictive analytics and machine learning to big data, police can spot where violent crime may happen next. Facial recognition technology has been around for a while. It has a massive potential in the police's weaponry against fighting crime. The technology has analytics algorithms that process images in real-time, thereby making it much more effective. For example, Hofmann, J. (2020) says that facial recognition is helping a lot in the fight against child sexual abuse. Many law enforcement agencies are experiencing a future of reduced government funding. Powerful new technologies provide a way for forces to operate and serve their communities more efficiently.

The law has failed to keep pace with advancements in technology in several ways. A typical example is in the case of technological advancements used in surveillance and fighting crime. For instance, random video clips and photos from CCTV surveillance footage of crime scenes may be contested or not admissible as evidence in a court of law if the law does not provide for it.

Conclusion

Therefore, in conclusion, there is a need to review existing laws protecting users in the various constitutional and legal issues of concern in technology as there exist loopholes that expose users. Despite technological advances leading to emerging forms of crime, technology advancements have positive contributions in the surveillance and fight against crime.

References

Dudley, A., Braman, J., & Vincenti, G. (2012). Investigating cyber law and cyber ethics: issues, impacts and practices. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.

Hofmann, J. (2020). How facial recognition is helping fight child sexual abuse. Biometric Technology Today, 2020(3), 7-10. doi: 10.1016/s0969-4765(20)30038-2

Shapland, J., Knepper, P., & Doak, J. (2009). Urban crime prevention, surveillance, and restorative justice: effects of social technologies. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

Fritsvold, E., & Fritsvold, E. (2020, February 26). The Cutting-Edge Technologies Transforming 21st Century Policing. Retrieved from https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/10-innovative-police-technologies/