References

Answers Corporation. (2010). Describe the differences between law and ethics? Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Describe_the_differences_between_law_and_ethics: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Describe_the_differences_between_law_and_ethics

Ellin, J. (1995). Morality and the Meaning of Life: An Introduction to Ethical Theory. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Mill, J. S. (1863). Utilitarianism.

Rosen, J. (2000). The unwanted Gaze: The Destruction of Privacy In America. Random House.

What new threats to privacy are likely to develop from new computer and Internet applications in the next five years? Include discussions on Smart-Phones, iPhone, iPad type devices, GPS-enabled vehicles, etc.

There are many threats to privacy that will likely develop over the next five years.  Some are already developed and in use.  A few are theft of information, intentional, institutional uses of personal information, e-mail spam, GPS location software (can potentially locate you via satellite), iPhone and iPad devices use Skype and other social media applications that can be easily intersected by a hacker or prowler, especially with children and younger adults.   

What does re-identification mean? Give an example.

Re-identification means identifying the individual from a set of anonymous data.  Researchers identify people by their monetary value, the vehicles they own, and the sport teams they follow.  Once identified, a person is linked to them with the same characteristics.

What does the term secondary use mean? Give an example.

Use of personal information for a purpose other than the one for which it was supplied is called secondary use.  For example, selling a person's personal information to a marketing firm for direct sell calls, or using a persons information to work with the IRS and including them into a different tax bracket.

Briefly list and explain the following (a) Right, wrong, okay; (b) Distinguish wrong and harm; (c) Separating goals from constraints; (d) Personal preference and ethics; (e) Law and ethics.

(a).  In situations where its hard to determine if something is either ethically wrong or right, its easier to broaden the category and determine if the acts is ethically right, ethically wrong, or just plain okay.

(b).  Carelessly causing harm is wrong, but it is difficult to state that this harm is wrong.  For example, a person may support a group of users in the IT field and has devised a plan to support them in half of the time currently established.  Due to this person's ability to do more work with less, could potentially cause another technician their job.  Wrong would be cracking the security codes in a banking system to prove that the system's security software has flaws.  When in fact, it's wrong and illegal to crack or hack codes in a federally regulated system.

(c).  Personally, a personal goal would be to become financially wealthy by the age of 50.  In the position I have at my company, it could be reachable if I make money for my company within the limits of my department.  However, if I steal and cheat through some parts of my job to reach financial success, then I have basically went above my constraints ethically.

(d).  Given the opportunity to create a company logo and web page for a potential client is rewarding financially.  However, this client does not believe in God and considers themselves atheist.  As a person with CChristian beliefs, one could turn down the job due to personal beliefs and believe that the client is ethically wrong, but the client is not ethically wrong because they are exercising their freedom of religion.  We have to be careful in using our personal beliefs to determine if someone is ethically right or wrong.

(e).  Laws are written and adhered to by local, state, or federal bodies; such as a speed limit law.  Ethics should be considered a rule of conduct.  For example, a coach on a soccer team understands the laws regarding that league, but if the coach decides to cheat and/or defy the laws written, that would be considered unethical.

Which kind of ethical theory, deontologist or consequentialist, works better for arguing that is wrong to drive one's car on the left side of the road in a country where people normally drive on the right? Explain.

I believe that the theory of consequentialist work better for arguing the above point.  Being that deontologists tend to emphasize duty and the absolute rules, such as do not steal, an act is ethical if it complies with ethical rules and is chosen for that.  Consequentialists believe that people would be considered ethically correct if their cases, even good, universal rules should be broken because of the consequences.

Give an example of a law that implements an ethical principle. Give an example of a law that enforces a particular group's idea of how people should behave?

One law that implements an ethical principal would be laws regarding murder and theft.  By law, we know that it is unlawful to steal or commit murder.  Ethically, we are obligated to obey such laws.  Commercial law, such as the Uniform Commercial Code, defines rules for economic transactions and contracts.  An example of particular group's enforcements and the idea of how people should behave are many political, religious, or ideological organizations promote laws to require/prohibit certain kinds of behavior that the group considers acceptable.  Some are that: as members of society, we must accept the rules that the legislative process has created so long they are not clear or ethically wrong.  Others argue that, this could be a good policy and is not an ethical obligation.  Some believe that laws regulating personal behavior or voluntary economic transactions violate libertiesand autonomy of the people forced to obey and, hence, are ethically wrong.