why information ethics? rafael capurro international center for information ethics (icie) riga...

Why Information Ethics?Why Information Ethics?

Rafael CapurroRafael CapurroInternational Center for Information Ethics (ICIE)International Center for Information Ethics (ICIE)

Riga Global Meeting of Experts on the Ethical Aspects Riga Global Meeting of Experts on the Ethical Aspects of Information Societyof Information Society

UNESCO - IFAPUNESCO - IFAPOctober 16-17, 2013October 16-17, 2013

Capurro, Riga 2013Capurro, Riga 2013 22

IntroductionIntroduction

• Since the second half of the last Since the second half of the last century computer scientists, such as century computer scientists, such as Norbert Wiener and Joseph Norbert Wiener and Joseph Weizenbaum, called public’s attention Weizenbaum, called public’s attention to the ethical challenges immanent in to the ethical challenges immanent in computer technology that can be computer technology that can be compared in their societal relevance to compared in their societal relevance to the ambivalent promises of nuclear the ambivalent promises of nuclear energy.energy.



• In the beginning the discussion was In the beginning the discussion was focused on the moral responsibility of focused on the moral responsibility of computer professionals. computer professionals.

• But for scientists like Wiener and But for scientists like Wiener and Weizenbaum the impact of computer Weizenbaum the impact of computer technology was understood to be technology was understood to be something that concerned society as something that concerned society as a whole.a whole.



• Half a century after Wiener’s seminal Half a century after Wiener’s seminal work the work the World Summit on the World Summit on the Information SocietyInformation Society (WSIS) (WSIS) developed the visiondeveloped the vision



• ““[…] to build a people-centred, […] to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented inclusive and development-oriented Information Society, where everyone Information Society, where everyone can create, access, utilize and share can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and peoples individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their full potentialto achieve their full potential



• in promoting their sustainable in promoting their sustainable development and improving their development and improving their quality of life, premised on the quality of life, premised on the purposes and principles of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and Charter of the United Nations and respecting fully and upholding the respecting fully and upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” (WSIS 2003)Rights.” (WSIS 2003)



• The WSIS also proposed a political The WSIS also proposed a political agenda, namelyagenda, namely



• ““[…] to harness the potential of […] to harness the potential of information and communication information and communication technology to promote the technology to promote the development goals of the Millennium development goals of the Millennium Declaration, namely the eradication of Declaration, namely the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; extreme poverty and hunger; achievement of universal primary achievement of universal primary education; promotion of gender education; promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women; equality and empowerment of women; reduction of child mortality; reduction of child mortality;



• improvement of maternal health; to improvement of maternal health; to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and development of sustainability; and development of global partnerships for development global partnerships for development for the attainment of a more for the attainment of a more peaceful, just and prosperous world.” peaceful, just and prosperous world.” (WSIS 2003)(WSIS 2003)



UNESCO commitment to IE: Organizing and sponsoring international UNESCO commitment to IE: Organizing and sponsoring international meetings and fora particularly within the framework of IFAP, such meetings and fora particularly within the framework of IFAP, such as:as:

• First WSIS+10 Review Meeting: Towards Knowledge First WSIS+10 Review Meeting: Towards Knowledge Societies, February 25-27, 2013, Paris.Societies, February 25-27, 2013, Paris.

• Sustainable support of the ANIE (African Network for Sustainable support of the ANIE (African Network for Information Ethics) conferences since 2007.Information Ethics) conferences since 2007.

• International Conference: Media and Information Literacy International Conference: Media and Information Literacy for Knowledge Societies 24-28 June 2012, Moscow.for Knowledge Societies 24-28 June 2012, Moscow.

• International Conference: Internet and Socio-Cultural International Conference: Internet and Socio-Cultural Transformations in Information Society, September 8-9, Transformations in Information Society, September 8-9, 2013, Yuszno-Sakhalinsk, Russian Federation.2013, Yuszno-Sakhalinsk, Russian Federation.

– Comprehensive projects and activities on issues dealing Comprehensive projects and activities on issues dealing with, for instance, media and gender, journalism, and with, for instance, media and gender, journalism, and open access. See: open access. See: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-inforhttp://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-informationmation//

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/




What is Information Ethics?What is Information Ethics?

• I define digital ethics or I define digital ethics or information information ethics in a narrower senseethics in a narrower sense as dealing as dealing with the impact of digital ICT on with the impact of digital ICT on society and the environment at large society and the environment at large as well as with ethical questions as well as with ethical questions dealing with the Internet, digital dealing with the Internet, digital information and communication media information and communication media (digital media ethics) in particular. (digital media ethics) in particular.


What is Information Ethics?What is Information Ethics?

• Information ethics in a broader senseInformation ethics in a broader sense deals with information and deals with information and communication including but not communication including but not limited to the digital media.limited to the digital media.



• Research in Information Ethics Research in Information Ethics should contribute to address and find should contribute to address and find sustainable solutions to the sustainable solutions to the technological challenges of the technological challenges of the digital age.digital age.



• Economic, political and ecological Economic, political and ecological activities of modern societies rely activities of modern societies rely heavily on digital communication heavily on digital communication networks.networks.



• Academic research in digital ethics should Academic research in digital ethics should become a core mandatory issue of become a core mandatory issue of economics and business studies. Similarly economics and business studies. Similarly to the already well established bioethics to the already well established bioethics committees, ethical issues of ICT should committees, ethical issues of ICT should be addressed taking as a model for be addressed taking as a model for instance the instance the European Group on Ethics in European Group on Ethics in Science and New TechnologiesScience and New Technologies to the to the European CommissionEuropean Commission



• ICT has a deep impact on ICT has a deep impact on politicspolitics leading to a transformation of 20th leading to a transformation of 20th century broadcast mass media based century broadcast mass media based democracy, or democracy, or mediocracy,mediocracy, on the on the basis of new kinds of digital-basis of new kinds of digital-mediated interactive participation.mediated interactive participation.



• New interactive media weaken the New interactive media weaken the hierarchical one-to-many structure of hierarchical one-to-many structure of traditional global mass-media, giving traditional global mass-media, giving individuals, groups, and whole individuals, groups, and whole societies the capacity to become societies the capacity to become senders and not “just” receivers of senders and not “just” receivers of messages.messages.



• ICTs are widely used for political ICTs are widely used for political participation and grass-roots protest participation and grass-roots protest groups as well as by liberation and groups as well as by liberation and peace movements. peace movements.



• By the same token, digital By the same token, digital communication networks make communication networks make possible new structures of political possible new structures of political surveillance, censorship and control surveillance, censorship and control on individuals and whole societies. on individuals and whole societies. Digital ethics should address the Digital ethics should address the question of the human right to question of the human right to communicate. communicate.



• The Internet has become a local and The Internet has become a local and global basic social communication global basic social communication infrastructure. Freedom of access infrastructure. Freedom of access should be considered a fundamental should be considered a fundamental ethical principle similar to freedom of ethical principle similar to freedom of speech and freedom of the press.speech and freedom of the press.



• Some of the rights stated in the Some of the rights stated in the Universal Universal Declaration of Human RightsDeclaration of Human Rights such as the such as the right to freedom of thought, conscience and right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Art. 18), the right to freedom of religion (Art. 18), the right to freedom of opinion and expression (Art. 19), and the opinion and expression (Art. 19), and the right to peaceful assembly and association right to peaceful assembly and association (Art. 20) need to be explicitly interpreted (Art. 20) need to be explicitly interpreted and defined taking the new and unique and defined taking the new and unique affordances of internetworked digital media affordances of internetworked digital media into consideration. into consideration.



• A free Internet can foster peace and A free Internet can foster peace and democracy but it can also be used democracy but it can also be used for manipulation and control. For this for manipulation and control. For this reason I assess a necessity to strive reason I assess a necessity to strive for a future internet governance for a future internet governance regime on the basis of intercultural regime on the basis of intercultural deliberation, democratic values and deliberation, democratic values and human rights.human rights.



• The disposal and recycling of all The disposal and recycling of all kinds of ICT devices that already kinds of ICT devices that already today have devastating today have devastating consequences on humans and the consequences on humans and the environment particularly when environment particularly when exported to Third World countries.exported to Third World countries.



• Issues of sustainability and global Issues of sustainability and global justice should be urgently addressed justice should be urgently addressed together with the opportunities together with the opportunities offered by the same media to offered by the same media to promote better shelter, less hunger promote better shelter, less hunger and combat diseases. and combat diseases.



• I advocate for the expansion of the I advocate for the expansion of the human rights discourse to include human rights discourse to include the rights of non-human life and the rights of non-human life and nature. The present ecological crisis nature. The present ecological crisis is a clear sign that we have to is a clear sign that we have to change our lives in order to become change our lives in order to become not masters but stewards of natural not masters but stewards of natural environment.environment.



• Some main challenges of information Some main challenges of information ethics dealt with issues of intellectual ethics dealt with issues of intellectual property, privacy, security, property, privacy, security, surveillance, information overload, surveillance, information overload, digital divide, gender discrimination, digital divide, gender discrimination, and censorship.and censorship.



• They are objects of ethical scrutiny not They are objects of ethical scrutiny not only on the basis of universal rights only on the basis of universal rights and principles but also with regard to and principles but also with regard to cultural differences as well as to cultural differences as well as to historical and geographical singularities historical and geographical singularities leading to different kinds of theoretical leading to different kinds of theoretical foundations and practical options. This foundations and practical options. This field of ethics research being called field of ethics research being called intercultural information ethicsintercultural information ethics



• One important challenge in this One important challenge in this regard is the question about how regard is the question about how human cultures can flourish in a human cultures can flourish in a global digital environment while global digital environment while avoiding uniformity or isolation.avoiding uniformity or isolation.



• Digital surveillance of public spaces Digital surveillance of public spaces is supposed to ensure safety and is supposed to ensure safety and security facing unintentional or security facing unintentional or intentional dangers for instance from intentional dangers for instance from criminal or terrorist attacks.criminal or terrorist attacks.



• But at the same time it threatens But at the same time it threatens autonomy, anonymity and trust that autonomy, anonymity and trust that build the basis of democratic build the basis of democratic societies.societies.


ConclusionConclusion

• Individuals as well as societies must Individuals as well as societies must become aware of different kinds of become aware of different kinds of assemblages between traditional and assemblages between traditional and digital media according to their digital media according to their needs, interests and cultural needs, interests and cultural backgrounds.backgrounds.



• The vision of an inclusive information The vision of an inclusive information society as developed during the WSIS society as developed during the WSIS must be global and plural at the must be global and plural at the same time. same time.



• Who are we in the digital age? Who are we in the digital age? As As human cultures become digitally human cultures become digitally hybridized this process affects social hybridized this process affects social life in all its dimensions as well as life in all its dimensions as well as our interplay with nature. The key our interplay with nature. The key task of digital ethics is to make us task of digital ethics is to make us aware of the challenges and options aware of the challenges and options for individual and social life design. for individual and social life design.



• The digital medium is an opportunity The digital medium is an opportunity for the subjects of the 21st century for the subjects of the 21st century to transform themselves and their to transform themselves and their relations in and with the world.relations in and with the world.



• This implies allowing each other to This implies allowing each other to articulate ourselves in the digital articulate ourselves in the digital network, while taking care of network, while taking care of historical, cultural and geographical historical, cultural and geographical singularities.singularities.


NoteNote

• This presentation is based on my This presentation is based on my keynote at the 2009 Global Forum on keynote at the 2009 Global Forum on Civilization and Peace, Korea. See: R. Civilization and Peace, Korea. See: R. Capurro: Digital Ethics. Capurro: Digital Ethics.

http://www.capurro.de/korea.htmlhttp://www.capurro.de/korea.html

http://www.capurro.de/korea.html

why information ethics? rafael capurro international center for information ethics (icie) riga...

Documents

information society

information literacy

potential of information

information ethics conferences

digital ethics

sustainable development

development goals

introductionthe wsis