COM 354 (11/08)

New Media Ethics

OUTLINE

- Deontology and democratic values

- Web2forDev

- Cross-generational dialog on ethics of digital life

- Group project (with individual components)

Democratic values and copyright

In the documentary Freedom of Expression, we heard the phrase “The extension of copyright is Anti-American!”

How might the extensionof the terms of copyright protection go against democratic values or what itmeans to be American?

Do you agree with this assessment?

Theories of Right Action (deontological framework ) • Kant

• Decide what is right independent of social utility

• Social utility reduces people to a means, a thing

• People are not “means” but “ends” in themselves

• Profound sense of equality

Deontological framework (cont.) Right or wrong no matter the

consequences

– Ethical absolutes – human rights

– Applying universal law to society

–Making a promise

democratic values as an ethical absolute

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

- The United States Declaration of Independence adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

Deontology and human rights

Article 25 - Everyone has the right to a standard of livingArticle 26 - Everyone has the right to educationArticle 27 - Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

Deontology and human rights

Article 25.

* (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

Deontology and human rights

Article 26.

* (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. * (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

Deontology and human rights

Article 27.

* (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. * (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author..

How can the Internet support these rights?

Article 25 - Everyone has the right to a standard of livingArticle 26 - Everyone has the right to educationArticle 27 - Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

ICT Development Index

Is the global digital divide widening or narrowing?

mobile phone is single most widespread ICT today

# of Internet users has grown at a much slower rate in developing world

fixed Internet access in developing countries is limited, slow and/or expensive

high-speed (broadband) connections are rare

Digital Dilemma

Should anonymity be upheld as an unconditional right? Or should we decide based on social utility?

Right to anonymity online

Anonymitya universally acknowledged extrinsic good of privacy

a means to achieve political freedom from interference in one’s political beliefs (UDHR 1948)

e.g., ‘A shield from the tyranny of the majority’ (Ermert 2009; Hosein 2006)

Right to anonymity online

Personally identifying demographic information (PII) (e.g. race, religion,location, and politics) can invite biased treatment including:

discriminatory pricing schemes (Turow 2006),preying upon vulnerabilities (Calo 2010), andcontent moderation based on activist causes and religious affiliation

criminalization based on sexual identity

Right to anonymity online

The Cameroon government uses article 347 of the Penal Code to deny basic rights to people perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). The report describes arrests, beatings by the police, abuses in prison, and a homophobic atmosphere that encourages shunning and abuse in the community. The consequence is that people are not punished for a specific outlawed practice, but for a homosexual identity”

Digital Dilemma

How can Web2forDev support human development in developing countries when online participation on social networks can compromise someone's privacy leading to their abuse based on sexual orientation and gender identity?

HWK (Due Monday 11/15)

Should anonymity be upheld as an unconditional right? Or should we decide based on social utility?

Anonymous bulletin boards: e.g. 4chan

See Readings on Syllabus for “Week 13” 11/15