Ethics for the Information Age, 8th edition

For courses in computer ethics.

A thoughtful approach to evaluating current social and ethical concerns in the information age

Ethics for the Information Age takes a thoughtful approach that considers not only the short-term benefits of technology, but possible long-term effects as well. Such an approach requires a solid grounding in ethics and logic, an understanding of the history of technology and a familiarity with current and cutting-edge information technology.

The 8th Edition is extensively updated and covers many new developments and controversies related to the introduction, use and misuse of information technology in modern society. New content focuses on the structure of logical arguments and more.

Hallmark features of this title

• Provocative questions raised at the end of every chapter, together with dozens of in-class exercises, provide many opportunities for students to express their views, learn from their classmates and refine their positions on important issues.
• Chapter 1 covers 3 main objectives to prepare students for the course: to get the reader thinking about the process of technological change, present a brief history of computing, networking and information storage and retrieval, and provide examples of moral problems brought about by the introduction of information technology.
• Chapter 2 is an introduction to ethics and presents the pros and cons of nine different theories of ethical decision-making.

New and updated features of this title

• NEW: Appendix B, completely new, focuses on common logical fallacies and the structure of logical arguments.
• NEW: Four sidebars throughout the text offer practical privacy and security enhancement advice, specifically: How to limit the amount of information Google saves about your searches. How to limit the amount of personal information Facebook releases to others. How to create a secure password. How to protect your computer and other Internet-connected devices.
• NEW: There's coverage of the latest developments in ethics. Some of the topics include safety concerns arising from accidents involving self-driving vehicles, foreign interference in the 2016 US Presidential election using social media platforms, police obtaining cell phone location records without a search warrant, and cloud computing and cloud storage.