Legal and Ethical Issues with Computers
By: Max Domingues
There are many legal and ethical issues with computers that can be exploited by bad people to do bad things. Some of those issues include illegal music and video file downloading, spyware, identity theft, phishing, keystroke logging, packet sniffing and cyberbullying.Illegal File Downloading
Illegal music and video file downloading is fairly straightforward. People can post the file of music or movies on websites for others to download for free when they would usually have to pay for them. These are forms of media are protected by copyright law meaning that they cannot be copied, reproduced or resold without the permission of the original creators or owners which is what inevitably makes this action illegal even though many people today do listen or watch music and movies illegally, but not necessarily by downloading them. (1)
Spyware
Spyware is software downloaded onto a users electronic device without their knowledge and is used mostly to steal their personal information. These can be used for good and bad. Parents can use them to monitor their children or companies to monitor their employees, while third party apps can be downloaded to infect phones and use their camera or microphone to spy on the owner 24/7. (2)
Identity Theft
Identity theft, or identity fraud, is when someone steals personal identifiable information on others in order to impersonate said person. This can be one of the worst legal issues with computers because it allows the criminal to get credit card info and buy thing in the name of someone else or even do crimes in others names. There are two main types of identity theft, account takeover and true name. Account takeover is when the thief uses the info taken to gain control of the original person's account, allowing them to change some things and buy others before they realize what is going on. True name theft is when the thief creates new accounts in other's names. This can be done for many reasons in many forms however one of the main ones would be to obtain blank cheques. (3)
Keystroke Logging
Keystroke logging is when a software is downloaded onto a computer and is able to detect and record every key press made on that device which is then saved into a log file. This can be used to acquire private messages, usernames, passwords or even just what you search for on google. Unlike the others, keystroke loggers are not only used by thieves, but can be used by business employers to make sure their employees do only the work they are meant to do and by parents to monitor their children so that they aren't doing any searches for inappropriate things. Therefore, keyloggers are not only used for bad but for good as well. (4)
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is making others feel sad, angry or scared multiple times over the internet on a wide variety of electronic devices. This is usually done on different social media websites such as Facebook or Instagram or just by texting or email. Unlike bullying in schools, cyberbullying can be done anonymously, making the perpetrator faceless to the victim. This has become a serious issue in this day and age when everyone and everything is connected online. (5)