As the Internet becomes more pervasive in our lives, ethical issues are also raised by the rapid advancement of current technologies. The Internet allows people from all around the world to access information at the same rate, and this globalization has created new trans-personal property rights. This means that one country’s laws concerning Internet privacy and security do not have to necessarily apply to someone else’s property in another country. This raises a number of ethical issues, because many people believe that the Internet should be controlled and regulated by the countries in which they have residency.
One of the key ethical issues: in the information age is the ability to abuse anonymity. Internet users do not want to share identifying information about themselves, because doing so could lead to abuses of power and the violation of their privacy. However, there are some problems with the current system of anonymous browsing. Because anyone can view anyone’s Web surfing history, it is easy for people to monitor Internet activity and take down the identity of the user behind the curtains of anonymity. While there are methods that prevent people from automatically logging in to another user’s space, such as using multiple user names, people are able to evade detection from such tracking.
Another issue arises with the ability to track the location of a person in real time: There are a number of ways that current Internet systems can do this, but they do not allow for meaningful discrimination based on physical factors, such as a person’s gender or ethnicity. The lack of physical discrimination against certain groups of individuals violates one of the major moral dimensions of the information age: individual rights. The ability to discriminate based on these factors goes against the fundamental values of the Internet and of Internet users as a whole.
One way that Internet users: can ensure that privacy and other property rights are protected is by making sure that their Internet usage remains confined to particular websites. In this way, Internet users are able to better protect their moral dimensions by choosing to visit only websites that they feel comfortable visiting. While there are different sources of online traffic, all of the major factors that affect Internet users’ choices in which sites to visit still exist: people’s trust in the system, the amount of information available, the different privacy and security policies of different companies, and the user’s willingness to put privacy, security, and the safety of his or her property on the line when using the Internet.
With the rise of the Internet: people have begun to worry more about the invasion of their privacy and the deterioration of their property rights as a result. Both ethical and moral dimensions of information rights are at risk as a result of increased Internet activity. The expansion of the Internet has created new opportunities for advertisers to exploit new information rights. There is now no longer an excuse for allowing corporations to invade your privacy, as the Internet makes it very easy for them to do so. Similarly, the lack of information security creates a number of potential risks to the Internet user.
In addition to the issues raised by current: key technology trends that raises ethical issues, these new technologies represent a number of risks as well. The Internet has many capabilities, and the potential exists for misuse and abuse by both legitimate and illegitimate actors. As more people turn to the Internet for things like business and communications, the Internet will become an important medium for social conflict. It is important to recognize that as technology continues to improve, and people’s trust in the Internet grows, the Internet will become a place where people can potentially lose some of their property rights, and where they may be required to provide more information than they would like.
This potential for abuse should be understood, and users should work to prevent the loss of property and other risks that may be brought about by these new technologies.
