Computer ethics


"Computer ethics is the set of commonly agreed principles that govern the use of computers. Like ethics more generally, computer ethics is essentially a set of philosophical guidelines or moral standards that aim to influence behaviour and prevent harm."

What is computer ethics? (2022) North Wales Management School - Wrexham Glyndwr University. Available at: https://online.glyndwr.ac.uk/what-is-computer-ethics/ (Accessed: 07 June 2023).


Programmers sometime watching the social conduct of individuals when using internet connection.

"Computer ethics first rose to prominence during the Second World War, when MIT professor Norbert Wiener predicted significant social and ethical consequences to the cybernetics technology he was helping to develop.

However, it wasn’t until 1976 that Walter Maner, a professor at Bowling Green State University, coined the term ‘computer ethics’ for this separate branch of applied ethics. Maner went on to champion the field, and inspired philosopher Terrell Ward Bynum, editor of the Metaphilosophy academic journal, to launch an essay competition about computer ethics – the results of which were printed in 1985, in a special edition of the journal called Computers and Ethics. The winner of the competition was entitled What Is Computer Ethics? Written by James Moor, it states that computer ethics includes:

What is computer ethics? (2022) North Wales Management School - Wrexham Glyndwr University. Available at: https://online.glyndwr.ac.uk/what-is-computer-ethics/ (Accessed: 07 June 2023).


Common concerns and considerations

There are a number of ethical concerns that have arisen within computing and information technology (IT), particularly following the rise of the internet, social media, artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning algorithms.

Computer crime

Cybercrime is a threat that evolves as rapidly as new technology does. Through hacking, malware, viruses, worms, phishing, Trojan horses, and so on, cybercriminals and hackers can steal money and data, commit fraud, traffic in illegal content and intellectual property, and commit identity theft.

Privacy and security

Digital security, anonymity, information ethics, and information privacy online can be hugely important to people. However, threats abound, from companies secretly tracking – and selling – online activity, to individual people cyberbullying.

Intellectual property

Theft or the unauthorised distribution of digital content, copyrighted content, and intellectual property is an ongoing issue online, with everything from art and entertainment media to software and innovative products shared illegally online.


What is computer ethics? (2022) North Wales Management School - Wrexham Glyndwr University. Available at: https://online.glyndwr.ac.uk/what-is-computer-ethics/ (Accessed: 07 June 2023).


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