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Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Mälardalen University2003

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

CD5590 LECTURE 10

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Ethics, Privacy and Civil Liberties

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Some common uses of data about people

Public Information Business Transactions

Birth Certificates Mail OrdersDriver Licenses Telephone OrdersCar Registrations SubscriptionsProperty Records DonationsMarriage License Credit CardsCensus Records Warranty CardsTelephone Directories Tattslotto, ...Consumer Surveys Accounts Payments PassportsVisas

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which can lead to.. Multiple Mailing Lists

SubscriptionsEntertainment SpecialsDonationsMembershipsCataloguesSocial ClubsProfessional Development

Some common uses of data about people

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Public Information Business Transactions

Birth Certificates Mail OrdersDriver Licenses Telephone OrdersCar Registrations SubscriptionsProperty Records DonationsMarriage License Credit CardsCensus Records Warranty CardsTelephone Directories Tattslotto, ...Consumer Surveys Accounts Payments PassportsVisas

Ethics, Privacy and Security Some common uses of data about people

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Multiple Mailing Lists

SubscriptionsEntertainment SpecialsDonationsMembershipsCataloguesSocial ClubsProfessional Development

Ethics, Privacy and Security

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Privacy: The right of people not to reveal information about themselves, the right to keep personal information from being misused

Electronic invasion of personal data has become a serious ethical issue

Ethics, Privacy and Security

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Invasion of Privacy. Would you agree to: Your shopping habits, your income, to be

available to any number of businesses ? Your medical records being used by your

employer as one of the means of making decision regarding promotions, hiring, redundancy ?

Ethics, Privacy and Security

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Ethics, Privacy and SecurityUS

The rapid expansion of use of the Internet and E-Commerce has raised many problems with privacy aspects.

In America there exists the ‘Association of Corporate Privacy Officers’ which would indicate that there is much interest and concern regarding privacy of data.

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Ethics, Privacy and SecurityUS

Privacy Officers :- train employees about privacy- examine a company’s policies for potential risks- manage customer-privacy disputes- inform senior executives on how the company deals with privacy issues

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Database Security: is the protection of a database from– unauthorised access– unauthorised modification– destruction

PRIVACY is the right of individuals to have some control over information about themselves

INTEGRITY refers to the correctness, completeness and consistency of data

Security

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AIM PREVENTS- Confidentiality - Unauthorised disclosure- Integrity - Unauthorised Amendment- Availability - Unauthorised Withholding

Security Systems:1. Computer Security2. Communications Security

- transmission- encryption

3. Procedural security4. Physical security

http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/courseware/cse1720/Week12.ppt

Security

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Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

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What are civil rights and what are civil liberties?

Civil Rights = The right of every person to equal protection under the law and equal access to society’s opportunities and public facilities.

Civil Liberties = Individual rights that are protected from infringement by government.

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CIVIL LIBERTIES1. The Bill of Rights2. First Amendment: Freedom of

Religion3. First Amendment: Freedom of

Speech and Press4. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms5. The Rights of Criminal Defendants6. The Right to Privacy

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Civil liberties are the personal rights and freedoms that the federal government cannot abridge, either by law, constitution, or judicial interpretation.

These are limitations on the power of government to restrain or dictate how individuals act.

CIVIL LIBERTIES

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The Right to Privacy

Privacy is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, nevertheless some areas are to be off-limits to government interference.

Examples:

– The right to Abortion– The right to Homosexuality– The Right to Die

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Civil Liberties after Sept 11

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Privacy before Sept. 11th

Tradeoff between security and privacy has always been a major issue for most Americans

Most sided with privacy at the expense of security

84% of Americans were concerned about the government, businesses, or individuals collecting information on them

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Privacy Before Sept 11th, cont.

54% were “very concerned” Only a minor portion of America (13%)

supported FBI internet surveillance to catch criminals

62% of Americans thought that new laws should be created to guarantee that privacy would be protected from government agencies

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9.11.2001

On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C.

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NYTimes Poll 4/23/97

NYTimes Poll 9/27/01

29% wanted stronger laws at cost of civil liberties

55% want stronger laws at cost of civil liberties

62% did not want new laws

35% do not want new laws

Majority wanted protection from government

72% think antiencryption laws would prevent another attack

Shift in Public Opinion

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Government Reaction

The government is reacting to public opinion polls and are passing new controversial laws that expand government power

Have already passed many ‘anti-terrorism’ bills that cover matters such as wiretaps, electronic surveillance, regulation of airports, etc.

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Internet wiretapping scheme Installed at ISPs (Internet Service

Providers) Maintained and operated by FBI Monitors all email, both incoming and

outgoing

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Cryptography

Evidence produced from the Libyan bombings that Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, used phones scrambled by strong cryptography to hide the planning of the Libyan bombings

Evidence produced by the US government suggests that similar methods were used by the terrorist network for 9/11 attacks as well

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Cryptography

The US government has charged that such cryptography aids terrorism more than it protects privacy and therefore should be banned

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Conclusions

Public opinion will most likely remain concerned with security for months and years to come

Government expanding law enforcement powers

Privacy subordinated public safety

http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~cs7/papers/zachary-pr.ppt

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Ethical Challenges in a Public Health Crisis –

SARS Epidemic

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34Reference: Ross Upshur, University of Torontohttp://phs.med.utoronto.ca/sars2003/Upshur%20SARS.pdf