Computer Ethics

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Networking

* The Internet is a network of networks that uses two protocols, known as TCP/IP, to control the exchange of data. 

* The first part of an email address (before the@ sign) identifies a particular computer user. The second part of an email address (after the @ sign) contains a domain name.

• Spam is unsolicited, bulk email.

• Amount of email that is spam has increased– 8% in 2001– 40% in 2003– More than 50% in 2004

• Spam is effective– Cheap – Profitable even if only 1 in 100,000 buys

product

• How firms get email addresses– Opt-in lists– Dictionary attacks

• Spammers seek anonymity– Change email and IP addresses to disguise

sending machine– Hijack another system as a spam launch pad

• Spam blockers– Attempt to screen out spam– Have led to more picture-based spam

• A spam blocker attempts to keep spam from reaching someone’s mailbox by identifying and discarding (or routing to a special folder) emails that appear to be spam.

• Mail Abuse Protection System (MAPS) maintains a list of networks that either forward spam or allow spam to be created. The list is called the Realtime Blackhole List. Some Internet service providers refuse to accept email sent from hosts on the Realtime Blackhole List.

• MAPS is a not-for-profit organization

• Contacts marketers who violate MAPS standards for bulk email

• Puts marketers who violate standards on a Realtime Blackhole List (RBL)

• Some mail relays refer to RBL list– Looks up email host name on RBL list– If name on list, the email gets bounced back

• All email from blacklisted hosts gets bounced, even email from non-spammers

• Ethical Evaluation of Spamming

• Kantian evaluation

• Act utilitarian evaluation

• Rule utilitarian evaluation

• Social contract theory evaluation

• From all these perspectives, it is wrong to send spam

• Attributes of the Web:

• It is decentralized

• Every Web object has a unique address

• It is based on the Internet

Oher uses of the Web:

• (a) We sell stuff in on-line auctions (such as eBay).

• (b) We seek medical information from on-line special interest groups of people suffering from particular diseases.

• (c) We learn about the weather.

• (d) We find out about current traffic conditions before deciding whether to leave work.

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Controlling The Web:

• Not everyone in world has Internet access

• Sudan: centralized control center

• People’s Republic of China: ISPs sign“self-discipline” agreement

• Germany: Forbids access to neo-Nazi sites

• United States: Repeated efforts to limit access of minors to pornography

• Censorship : Is the attempt to suppress or regulate public access to material considered offensive or harmful.

• Direct censorship– Government monopolization– Prepublication review– Licensing and registration

• Self-censorship – Most common form of censorship– Group decides for itself not to publish

materials

• Censorship is difficult on the Internet because:

• (a) The Internet supports many-to-many communication. The Internet has far more information outlets than television or radio.

• (b) The Internet is dynamic. Millions of computers are being added to the Internet every year.

• (c) The Web is huge, containing billions of pages. Nobody can keep track of everything published on the Web.

• (d) The Internet is global. Laws passed in one nation may have no effect outside that nation’s borders.

• (e) It is hard to distinguish between children and adults on the Internet.

• Challenges Posed by the Internet

• Internet supports many-to-many communication

• Internet is dynamic

• Internet is huge

• Internet is global

• Difficulty distinguishing between children and adults online

Children and the Web

• Many parents believe they ought to protect their children from exposure (display) to pornographic and violent materials on the web.

• Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA)– Libraries receiving federal networking funds

must filter pages containing obscenity or child pornography.

Web filters

• Web filter: software that prevents display of certain Web pages– May be installed on an individual PC– ISP may provide service for customers

• Methodologies– Maintain “black list” of objectionable sites– Examine content for objectionable

words/phrases

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Ethical evaluations of CIPA

– Kantian evaluation: CIPA is wrong– Act utilitarian evaluation: depends on how

benefits and harms are weighed– Social contract theory: freedom of conscience

should be given precedence

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Identity theft

– when a person uses another person’s electronic identity

– Two-thirds of cases begin with an email solicitation

– Many victims are experienced computer users comfortable with typing credit card number online

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