MIS Chapter 4
37) Which of the following U.S. laws gives patients access to personal medical records and the right to authorize how this information can be used or disclosed? A) HIPAA B) Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act C) Privacy Protection Act D) Freedom of Information Act E) COPPA
A
93) Spam is legally defined as any e-mail that is unsolicited.
FALSE
69) Software programs were unprotected by copyright law until the early 1990s.
FALSE
72) One of the key concepts in patent law is novelty.
TRUE
73) Some forms of illegal sharing of music files have declined as legitimate online music stores have expanded.
TRUE
43) In the ________ model of informed consent, personal information can be collected until the consumer specifically requests that his or her data not be collected. A) opt-in B) opt-out C) P3P D) PGP E) safe harbor
B
61) Which of the following is not a file-sharing service? A) The Pirate Bay B) Megaupload C) Morpheus D) Pandora E) Grokster
D
83) Which of the following is the most common reason that business systems fail? A) Software bugs B) Software errors C) Hardware failures D) Facilities failures E) Data quality
E
21) A man steals from a grocery store in order to feed his starving family. Which of the following best expresses the utilitarian principle in evaluating this situation? A) His action is acceptable, because the grocer suffers the least harm. B) His action is acceptable, because the higher social value is the survival of the family. C) His action is wrong, because the man would not want the grocer to steal from him. D) His action is wrong, because if everyone were to do this, the concept of personal property is defeated. E) His action is wrong, because the grocery store owner is harmed.
B
40) When a cookie is created during a website visit, it is stored: A) on the website's server. B) on the hard drive of the visitor's computer. C) on the ISP's servers. D) in the browser's application settings. E) nowhere, because they are only used during a visit and are discarded once a visitor leaves the Web site.
B
48) "Look and feel" copyright infringement lawsuits are concerned with: A) the distinction between tangible and intangible ideas. B) the distinction between an idea and its expression. C) using the graphical elements of another product. D) using the creative elements of another product. E) violation of a monopoly on the ideas behind a product.
B
49) The NAI is an industry association formed to help with which of the following? A) Copyright protection B) Online privacy issues C) Patent protection D) Trademark protection E) Trade secret protection
B
54) ________ prohibits an organization from collecting any personal information unless the individual specifically takes action to approve information collection and use. A) A safe harbor B) The opt-in model C) FIP principles D) P3P E) The opt-out model
B
35) FIP principles are based on a belief in which of the following? A) Accountability of the record holder B) Responsibility of the record holder C) Mutuality of interest between the record holder and the individual D) Privacy of the individual E) Difference between the interests of the individual and commercial organizations
C
89) Which of the following terms refers to significant disparities in access to computers and the Internet among different social groups and different locations? A) CVS B) Technostress C) Digital divide D) RSI E) CTS
C
5) Which of the following is not one of the current key technology trends that raises ethical issues? A) Data storage improvements B) Data analysis advancements C) Increase in data quality D) Increase in use of mobile devices E) Advances in networking technology
C
55) ________ grants the owner exclusive ownership of the ideas behind an invention for 20 years. A) Copyright law B) Trademark law C) Patent law D) Trade secret protection E) Privacy law
C
8) Which of the following is a data analysis technology that finds hidden connections between data in disparate sources? A) HIPAA B) FIP C) NORA D) COPPA E) Spyware
C
23) The ethical "no free lunch" rule states that: A) if an action cannot be taken repeatedly, then it is not right to be taken at any time. B) one should take the action that produces the least harm or incurs the least cost. C) one can put values in rank order and understand the consequences of various courses of action. D) if something someone else has created is useful to you, it has value, and you should assume the creator wants compensation for this work. E) if an action is not right for everyone to take, it is not right for anyone to take.
D
22) Which of the following best describes Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative? A) If an action cannot be taken repeatedly, then it is not right to be taken at any time. B) One should take the action that produces the least harm or incurs the least cost. C) One can put values in rank order and understand the consequences of various courses of action. D) If an action is not right for everyone to take, it is not right for anyone to take. E) You should act towards others as you would like them to act towards you.
D
26) Which of the following ethical guidelines suggests that you put yourself in the place of others, and think of yourself as the object of the decision? A) Kant's categorical imperative B) the risk aversion principle C) the utilitarian principle D) the Golden Rule E) the "no free lunch" rule
D
33) In 2010, the FTC added all of the following recommendations to its privacy guidelines except: A) firms should build products and services that protect privacy. B) firms should increase the transparency of their data collection. C) firms should require consumer consent and provide clear options to opt out of data collection. D) firms should limit the length of time that any personal data is stored to six months or less. E) consumers should be able to review and contest the accuracy and completeness of data.
D
39) All of the following laws apply to actions by the federal government except the: A) Freedom of Information Act. B) Privacy Act. C) Computer Security Act. D) Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. E) E-Government Act.
D
64) Malicious software that is installed secretly on your computer by other applications and that tracks your online movements is called spyware.
TRUE
78) Describe how a cookie works. Short Answer:
A cookie works as follows: A user opens a web browser and selects a website to visit. The user's computer sends a request for information to the server running the website. At the same time the server sends a cookie—a data file containing information like an encrypted user ID and information about when the user visited and what he did on the site. The user's computer receives the cookie and places it in a file on the hard drive. Whenever the user goes back to the website, the server running the site retrieves the cookie to help identify the user.
91) Which of the following occurs when muscle groups are forced through tens of thousands of repetitions under low-impact loads? A) CTS B) CVS C) RSI D) Technostress E) RSS
C
17) ________ is a feature of social institutions that means mechanisms are in place to determine responsibility for an action. A) Due process B) Accountability C) The courts of appeal D) The judicial system E) Liability
B
86) The U.S. CAN-SPAM Act: A) makes spamming illegal. B) requires commercial email senders to identify themselves. C) has dramatically cut down spamming. D) does not override state anti-spamming laws. E) does not outlaw the use of fake return addresses.
B
1) Which of the following best describes how new information systems can result in legal gray areas? A) They work with networked, digital data, which are more difficult to control than information stored manually. B) They result in new situations that are not covered by old laws. C) They are implemented by technicians rather than managers. D) They are created from sets of logical and technological rules rather than social or organizational mores. E) They are little understood by politicians or lawyers.
B
18) ________ is a feature of law-governed society and involves having laws that are known and understood, along with the ability to appeal to higher authorities to ensure that the laws are applied correctly. A) Liability B) Due process C) Responsibility D) Accountability E) The judicial system
B
2) Which of the following best describes the effect that new information technology has on society? A) It has a dampening effect on the discourse of business ethics. B) It has a ripple effect, raising new ethical, social, and political issues. C) It is beneficial for society as a whole, while raising dilemmas for consumers. D) It has a waterfall effect in raising ever more complex ethical issues. E) It has a magnifying effect, creating increasing numbers of ethical issues.
B
24) According to ________, you should take the action that produces the least harm. A) Kant's categorical imperative B) the risk aversion principle C) the utilitarian principle D) the Golden Rule E) the "no free lunch" rule
B
44) What percent of global Internet users use Google Search and other Google services? A) Less than 10 percent B) Around 25 percent C) About 50 percent D) Nearly 80 percent E) Over 90 percent
D
38) Which of the following is not a U.S. federal law affecting private institutions? A) COPPA B) HIPAA C) Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act D) Video Privacy Protection Act E) Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act
E
4) The obligations that individuals and organizations have regarding the preservation of existing values and institutions fall within which of the following moral dimensions of the information age? A) Family and home B) Property rights and obligations C) System quality D) Accountability and control E) Quality of life
E
41) The U.S. Department of Commerce developed a ________ framework in order to enable U.S. businesses to legally use personal data from EU countries. A) COPPA B) P3P C) PGP D) FIP E) safe harbor
E
50) Which of the following is not protected by copyright law? A) Musical compositions B) Motion pictures C) Maps D) Artwork E) Machines
E
56) TRUSTe is an example of which of the following? A) Web beacon B) Behavioral targeting program C) Opt-out program D) Spyware E) Online seal program
E
45) Which of the following forms of protection of intellectual property requires that the property be the subject of a nondisclosure agreement? A) Copyright B) Patent C) All forms of intellectual property protection D) Trademark E) Trade secret
E
11) In today's legal environment, managers who are convicted for the misuse of information systems are still unlikely to be given a prison sentence.
FALSE
75) Although online tracking gathers an enormous amount of information on individual users, it is anonymous and can't be tied to a specific person.
FALSE
10) Routine violations of individual privacy are made more difficult by advances in data storage.
FALSE
96) One of the capabilities of Internet communication is the ability of the individual to appear essentially anonymous by using made-up user names. Is anonymity the same thing as privacy, and should it be a right? What ethical issues are raised by increased anonymity? Short Answer:
Student answers will vary, but should include a definition of privacy and an attempt to differentiate between anonymity and privacy, as well as an understanding that anonymity can result in a breakdown of clear accountability or responsibility for actions. A sample answer is: Privacy is the claim to be left alone, free from surveillance. This is different from anonymity, in which nobody knows who you are or what actions you take even in a public arena. Some individuals, if they feel they are anonymous, may have lapses in ethical behavior because anonymity means they are no longer accountable for their actions. I don't know if anonymity should be a right, but perhaps anonymity should not be permissible for some types of communication.
97) What do you consider to be the primary ethical, social, and political issues regarding the quality of a software product? Short Answer:
Student answers will vary, but should include a description of the software manufacturer's responsibility in software quality and an understanding of the difference between social concerns (culture, lifestyle effects) and political concerns (legal, institutional effects). A sample answer is: The central quality-related ethical issue that software quality raises is what responsibility does a software manufacturer have in the performance of its software? At what point can the manufacturer conclude that its software achieves an adequate level of quality? The leading social issue raised by quality is: how is our society affected by low-quality software and is this a concern? And how much accountability should the software manufacturer have? The central political concern raised by software quality is whether and how to enforce software quality minimums and standards, and what institutions are thus also held accountable.
12) Ethics describes the principles of right and wrong that can be used by individuals to make choices to guide their behavior.
TRUE
28) Because of their special claims to knowledge, wisdom, and respect, professionals take on special rights and obligations.
TRUE
29) Liability is a feature of political systems and allows individuals to recover damages done to them by others.
TRUE
68) Copyright is a legal protection given to creators of certain types of intellectual property.
TRUE
70) The problem with web browsers' Do Not Track options is that websites aren't obligated to honor these settings.
TRUE
71) European countries do not allow businesses to use personally identifiable information without consumers' prior consent.
TRUE
76) Web beacons are tiny, invisible software programs hidden in e-mail messages and web pages that are used to track and report a user's online behavior.
TRUE
94) Some experts believe that exposure to computers reduces intelligence and makes people dumb.
TRUE
95) Computer abuse refers to acts involving a computer that may not be illegal but are considered unethical.
TRUE
25) Which ethical rule states that if an action cannot be taken repeatedly, it is not right to take at all? A) Slippery-slope rule B) Lemming rule C) High-failure cost rule D) Utilitarian principle E) Golden Rule
A
30) What are the steps in conducting an ethical analysis? Short Answer:
The steps are: (1) Identify and describe clearly the facts; (2) define the conflict or dilemma and identify the higher-order values involved; (3) identify the stakeholders; (4) identify the options that you can reasonably take; and (5) identify the potential consequences of your options
31) Identify and discuss the six ethical principles discussed in the chapter. Short Answer:
(1) Golden rule - do onto others as you would have them do onto you. (2) Kant's categorical imperative - if an action isn't right for everyone to take, than it is not right for anyone to take. (3) Slippery slope rule - If an action cannot be taken repeatedly it's not right to take at all. (4) Utilitarian principle - Take action that achieves higher or greater value than others. (5) Risk aversion principle - Taking an action that produces the least amount of harm or potential downside. (6) "No free lunch" Rule - virtually all tangible assets that are appealing are owned by someone, who most likely expects payment for use of them. Therefore, nothing is society is completely free.
47) Which of the following protects the authors of a book from having their work copied by others? A) Patent protection B) Due process C) Copyright law D) Fair Use Doctrine E) Trade Secret law
C
59) Digital media differs from a physical book in all of the following ways except: A) ease of replication. B) ease of alteration. C) ease of transmission. D) ease of global distribution. E) ease of establishing uniqueness.
E
46) All of the following are technical solutions to protecting user privacy except: A) e-mail encryption. B) anonymous surfing. C) anonymous email. D) preventing client computers from accepting cookies. E) data use policies.
E
27) Identifying the stakeholders—people who have a vested interest in the outcome of the decision—is the last step in analyzing an ethical issue.
FALSE
66) The rate of global software piracy in 2015 was approximately 50%.
FALSE
74) COPPA is a set of five principles developed by the FTC that most American and European privacy law is based on.
FALSE
63) A Facebook user's visit to a website can be tracked even if they do not click a Like button.
TRUE
62) The European Parliament has banned unsolicited commercial messaging.
TRUE
65) Most Internet businesses do very little to protect the privacy of their customers.
TRUE
67) Any intellectual work product that isn't based on public knowledge can be classed as a trade secret.
TRUE
13) Identify the five moral dimensions that are involved in political, social, and ethical issues and briefly describe each. Of these, which do you think is the most difficult for society to deal with? Support your opinion. Short Answer:
1) Information rights and obligations: What information rights do individuals and organizations possess with respect to themselves? What can they protect? (2) Property rights and obligations: How will traditional intellectual property rights be protected in a digital society in which tracing and accounting for ownership are difficult and ignoring such property rights is so easy? (3) Accountability and control: Who can and will be held accountable and liable for the harm done to individual and collective information and property rights? (4) System quality: What standards of data and system quality should we demand to protect individual rights and the safety of society? (5) Quality of life: What values should be preserved in an information and knowledge-based society? Which institutions should we protect from violation? Which cultural values and practices does the new information technology support? I think the hardest of these moral dimensions to deal with is quality of life, because it deals with changing values. It is extremely difficult to do this due to the fact that different groups have varying values. Values aren't one-size-fits-all, but are determined, instead, by age, race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, and many other factors. Because of this, it seems impossible to arrive at a majority consensus on which values and institutions should be protected, which means that many individuals will always be unhappy with the standard set.
20) A colleague at work takes small amounts of office supplies for her own personal use, saying that this is a tiny loss to the company. You tell her that if everyone were to take office supplies, then the loss would no longer be minimal. Your rationale expresses which of the following ethical principles? A) Kant's Categorical Imperative B) The Golden Rule C) The Risk Aversion Principle D) The "No free lunch" rule E) The slippery-slope rule
A
53) Advertisers use ________ in order to display more relevant ads based on a user's search and browsing history. A) behavioral targeting B) Web bugs C) NORA D) intelligent agents E) FIP principles
A
7) The use of computers to assemble data from different sources to create digital dossiers of detailed information about individuals is known as which of the following? A) Profiling B) Phishing C) Spamming D) Targeting E) Spyware
A
16) ________ means that you accept the potential costs and obligations for the decisions you make. A) Responsibility B) Accountability C) Liability D) Due process E) Duty
A
19) All of the following are steps in the process for analyzing an ethical issue except: A) assigning responsibility. B) identifying the stakeholders. C) identifying the options you can reasonably take. D) identifying and clearly describing the facts. E) identifying the potential consequences of your options.
A
3) The obligations that individuals and organizations have concerning rights to intellectual property involve which of the following moral dimensions of the information age? A) Property rights and obligations B) System quality C) Accountability and control D) Information rights and obligations E) Quality of life
A
34) Which of the following restricts the information that the U.S. federal government can collect about an individual and regulates what it can do with the information? A) The Privacy Act B) The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act C) The Freedom of Information Act D) COPPA E) HIPPA
A
42) The Online Privacy Alliance: A) encourages self-regulation to develop a set of privacy guidelines for its members. B) protects user privacy during interactions with websites. C) has established technical guidelines for ensuring privacy. D) is a government agency regulating the use of customer information. E) is a safe harbor program established by the U.S. government.
A
51) Which of the following adjusts copyright laws to the Internet age by making it illegal to circumvent technology-based protections of copyrighted materials? A) Digital Millennium Copyright Act B) Privacy Act C) Freedom of Information Act D) Electronic Communications Privacy Act E) Computer Software Copyright Act
A
52) Which of the following statements about Flash cookies is not true? A) Flash cookies are installed only at the user's request. B) Flash cookies are stored on the user's computer. C) Flash cookies cannot be easily detected or deleted. D) Flash cookies are sometimes called super cookies. E) Flash cookies can be installed whenever a person clicks a Flash video.
A
81) ________ are not held liable for the messages they transmit. A) Regulated common carriers B) Private individuals C) Organizations and businesses D) Elected officials E) European ISPs
A
82) Which of the following resulted in an outage for Netflix customers on Christmas Eve 2012? A) A failure of Amazon's cloud computing service B) A failure of Netflix's recommendation engine software C) A blackout at Netflix's primary data center D) A hacking attack E) A bug in Netflix's credit card processing system
A
88) Redesigning and automating business processes can be seen as a double-edged sword because: A) increases in efficiency may be accompanied by job losses. B) increases in efficiency may be accompanied by poor data quality. C) support for middle-management decision making may be offset by poor data quality. D) reliance on technology results in the loss of hands-on knowledge. E) it can concentrate power in the hands of senior executives.
A
90) CVS refers to: A) eyestrain related to computer display screen use. B) a business practice that attempts to evaluate the intangible values of computer systems. C) carpal vision syndrome. D) a type of antivirus protection software. E) wrist injuries brought about by incorrect hand position when using a keyboard.
A
100) What are some of the potential health risks associated with use of computers? Short Answer:
A common occupational disease today is repetitive stress injury (RSI). RSI occurs when muscle groups are forced through repetitive actions often with high-impact loads (such as tennis) or tens of thousands of repetitions under low-impact loads (such as working at a computer keyboard). The incidence of repetitive stress syndrome is estimated to be as much as one-third of the labor force and accounts for one-third of all disability cases. The single largest source of RSI is computer keyboards. The most common kind of computer-related RSI is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), in which pressure on the median nerve through the wrist's bony structure, called a carpal tunnel, produces pain. The pressure is caused by constant repetition of keystrokes. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include numbness, shooting pain, inability to grasp objects, and tingling. Millions of workers have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. It affects an estimated 3 percent to 6 percent of the workforce. RSI is not the only occupational illness computers cause. Back and neck pain, leg stress, and foot pain also result from poor ergonomic designs of workstations. Computer vision syndrome (CVS) refers to any eyestrain condition related to display screen use in desktop computers, laptops, e-readers, smartphones, and handheld video games. CVS affects about 90 percent of people who spend three hours or more per day at a computer. Its symptoms, which are usually temporary, include headaches, blurred vision, and dry and irritated eyes.
58) Which of the following is not true about the changes to EU data protection rules proposed in 2012? A) The new rules would require Internet companies to obtain explicit consent from consumers for the use of their personal data. B) The new rules would require Internet companies to delete information at the user's request. C) The new rules would require Internet companies to retain information only as long as absolutely necessary. D) The new rules would reject the right to be forgotten. E) The new rules would apply only to all companies providing services in Europe.
D
84) Which of the following is a primary drawback to the "do anything anywhere" computing environment? A) It makes work environments less pleasant. B) It creates a digital divide. C) It centralizes power at corporate headquarters. D) It blurs the traditional boundaries between work and family time. E) It leads to employees being paid less for the total amount of work performed.
D
36) The FIP principle of Notice/Awareness states that: A) customers must be allowed to choose how their information will be used for secondary purposes other than the supporting transaction. B) data collectors must take responsible steps to assure that consumer information is accurate and secure from unauthorized use. C) there must be a mechanism in place to enforce FIP principles. D) consumers should be able to review the data collected about them. E) websites must disclose their information practices before collecting data.
E
57) Which of the following is not a difficulty in establishing patent protection? A) Length of time required to receive protection B) The requirement that the work reflect some special understanding and contribution C) The requirement that the work must be original D) The requirement that the work must be novel E) The requirement that the work must be a secret
E
6) Which of the five moral dimensions of the information age do the central business activities of DoubleClick involve? A) Property rights and obligations B) System quality C) Accountability and control D) Quality of life E) Information rights and obligations
E
60) Which of the following were involved in what has been called the patent trial of the century? A) Apple and Microsoft B) Apple and Hewlett-Packard C) Microsoft and Symantec D) Microsoft and Facebook E) Apple and Samsung
E
85) Which of the following statements about spam is not true? A) Most spam originates from bot networks. B) Cell phone spam usually comes in the form of SMS text messages. C) Spam costs for business are very high. D) Spamming has mushroomed because it is so inexpensive and can reach so many people. E) Spamming is more tightly regulated in Europe than in the United States.
E
87) Which of the five moral dimensions of the information age does spamming involve? A) Quality of life B) System quality C) Accountability and control D) Information rights and obligations E) Property rights and obligations
E
9) Which of the following is not an example of the potential dark side of big data? A) Police visits to individuals whom a computer system identified as likely to commit a crime in the future. B) Use of a device installed in a car to analyze driving habits. C) Use of a predictive modeling system that predicts life expectancy by using data about individual consumers' buying habits as well as personal and family medical histories. D) Use of computerized systems to filter and hire job applicants. E) Analyzing data from sensors installed in local parks to monitor soil moisture.
E
98) How does the use of electronic voting machines act as a "double-edged sword?" What moral dimensions are raised by this use of information technology? Short Answer:
Electronic voting machines can be seen as beneficial by making voting 1: Easy to accomplish and tabulate. However, it may be easier to tamper with electronic voting machines than with countable paper ballots. In terms of information rights, it seems possible that methods could be set up to determine how an individual has voted and to store and disseminate this knowledge. Manufacturers of voting machines claim property rights to the voting software, which means that if the software is protected from inspection, there is no regulation in how the software operates or how accurate it is. In terms of accountability and control, if an electronic voting system malfunctions, will it be the responsibility of the government, of the company manufacturing the machines or software, or the programmers who programmed the software? The dimension of system quality raises questions of how the level of accuracy of the machines is to be judged and what level is acceptable? In terms of quality of life, while it may make voting easier and quicker, does the vulnerability to abuse of these systems pose a threat to the democratic principle of one person, one vote?
92) Gaining unapproved access to a computer is not a federal crime.
FALSE
80) Discuss the history of Apple's and Samsung's patent battle against each other. Medium Answer
In 2011, Apple sued Samsung for violating its patents for iPhones, iPads, and iPods. On August 24, 2012, a California jury in federal district court delivered a decisive victory to Apple and a stunning defeat to Samsung. The jury awarded Apple $1 billion in damages. The decision established criteria for determining just how close a competitor can come to an industry-leading and standard-setting product like Apple's iPhone before it violates the design and utility patents of the leading firm. The same court ruled that Samsung could not sell its new tablet computer (Galaxy 10.1) in the United States. In a later patent dispute, Samsung won an infringement case against Apple. In June 2013, the United States International Trade Commission issued a ban for a handful of older iPhone and iPad devices because they violated Samsun patents from years ago. In 2014, Apple sued Samsung again, claiming infringement of five patents. The patents cover hardware and software techniques for handling photos, videos, and lists used on the popular Galaxy 5. Apple sought $2 billion in damages. In 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals reaffirmed that Samsung had copied specific design patents, but dropped the damages Apple was granted to $930 million. To make matters more complicated, Apple has been one of Samsung's largest customers for flash memory processors, graphic chips, solid-state drives, and display parts that are used in Apple's iPhones, iPads, iPod Touch devices, and MacBooks. The Samsung and Apple patent cases are indicative of the complex relationships among the leading computer firms.
79) How does protection of privacy in Europe differ from the United States? Long (Essay) Answer:
In Europe, privacy protection is much more stringent than in the United States. Unlike the United States, European countries do not allow businesses to use personally identifiable information without consumers' prior consent. On October 25, 1998, the European Commission's Directive on Data Protection went into effect, broadening privacy protection in the European Union (EU) nations. The directive requires companies to inform people when they collect information about them and disclose how it will be stored and used. Customers must provide their informed consent before any company can legally use data about them, and they have the right to access that information, correct it, and request that no further data be collected. Informed consent can be defined as consent given with knowledge of all the facts needed to make a rational decision. EU member nations must translate these principles into their own laws and cannot transfer personal data to countries, such as the United States, that do not have similar privacy protection regulations. In 2009, the European Parliament passed new rules governing the use of third-party cookies for behavioral tracking purposes. These new rules were implemented in May 2011 and require website visitors to give explicit consent to be tracked by cookies. Websites are required to have highly visible warnings on their pages if third-party cookies are being used. In January 2012, the EU issued significant proposed changes to its data protection rules, the first overhaul since 1995. The new rules would apply to all companies providing services in Europe and require Internet companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Google, and others to obtain explicit consent from consumers about the use of their personal data, delete information at the user's request (based on the right to be forgotten), and retain information only as long as absolutely necessary. In 2014, the European Parliament gave strong support to significant changes in privacy policies by extending greater control to users of the Internet. Although the privacy policies of United States firms (in contrast to the government's) are largely voluntary, in Europe, corporate privacy policies are mandated and more consistent across jurisdictions. Among the changes being discussed are a requirement for firms to inform users before collecting data, every time they collect data, and how it will be used. Users would have to give consent to any data collection. Other proposals call for users to have a right of access to personal data, and the right to be forgotten. The right to be forgotten was upheld by a European Union court in 2014, and since then, Google has had to respond to more than 200,000 requests to remove personal information from its search engine.
14) Describe three technology trends that pose ethical issues, giving an example for each of its ethical or moral impact. Short Answer:
Mobile device growth: Individual cell phones may be tracked without user consent or knowledge Date storage costs rapidly declining: Organizations can easily maintain detailed databases on individuals, so there are no limits on the data collected about you Networking advances: The cost of moving data and making it accessible from anywhere falls exponentially, which makes access to data more difficult to control
15) What is NORA and how does it work? Short Answer:
NORA - non-obvious relationship awareness; technology that can find obscure hidden connections between people or other entities by analyzing information from many different sources to correlate relationships It takes information from different sources, like job applications and telephone records, and correlates relationships to find obscure connections to help identify criminals or terrorists. It scans data and extracts information as the data is being generated to instantly find connections. For example, NORA could reveal if a man at an airline ticket counter shares a phone number with a known terrorist before that person boards the plane.
77) What are the major issues concerning privacy in the information age? Do you believe the need for homeland security should overrule some of the personal privacy and information rights we have previously taken for granted? Why or why not? Short Answer:
One answer might be that we should depend upon the Federal Trade Commission Fair Information Practice Principles and that as long as these principles are not ignored or overset, personal privacy does not conflict with homeland security. This is a weak argument. Other issues involve online privacy, employee monitoring, tradeoffs between security and privacy and good business results versus privacy.
32) Define the basic concepts of responsibility, accountability, and liability as applied to ethical decisions. How are these concepts related? Short Answer:
Responsibility is first key element in ethical action. Responsibility whether as a group, individual, or organization accepts the potential costs, duties, and obligations for its decisions. Accountability is a feature of systems and social institutions where mechanisms are put in place as to who is responsible for a given action. Liability is a feature of political system where a body of law in place permits individuals to recover damages done to them by others. These concepts are related in that there is a clear interconnectedness in our decision making progress. Ex -> make a choice that is well thought out (exercising responsibility), accepting the potential upsides and downsides for said decision (being accountable), and knowing how to fix and or uses consequences of an action on others (being liable).
99) What is the digital divide and how does it impact society? Short Answer:
The digital divide relates to the fact that information, knowledge, computers, and access to digital and information resources through educational institutions and public libraries are inequitably distributed along ethnic and social class lines. Several studies have found that poor and minority groups in the United States are less likely to have computers or online Internet access even though computer ownership and Internet access have soared in the past five years. Although the gap in computer access is narrowing, higher-income families in each ethnic group are still more likely to have home computers and broadband Internet access than lower-income families in the same group. Moreover, the children of higher-income families are far more likely to use their Internet access to pursue educational goals, whereas lower-income children are much more likely to spend time on entertainment and games. Left uncorrected, this digital divide could lead to a society of information haves, computer literate and skilled, versus a large group of information have-nots, computer illiterate and unskilled. Public interest groups want to narrow this digital divide by making digital information services—including the Internet—available to virtually everyone, just as basic telephone service is now
