Professional Codes of Conduct and Computer Ethics Education

Advancements in computer technology over the past twenty years have created ethical dilemmas and raised questions, some similar to other professions and some unique to the computer field. Therefore we think there is a need to reevaluate the application of ethical principles and establish new guidelines on ethical practices for the computer science profession. Because of the questions that have been raised—and, in some instances, sensational news accounts of computer irregularities, including fraud—there is a growing perception that self-regulation may be the only means by which the computer professional associations will prevent governments from stepping in and regulating the computer profession. This paper discusses the problem from two perspectives. First, the inadequacy of ethical codes of conduct developed by computer professionals is assessed in light of recent reports of computer abuse. Second, the relationship between the professional codes of conduct and computer ethics education is examined. Strategies for incorporating professional ethical codes into the core of computer education curriculum are proposed. Keywords computers and society, codes of conduct, computer science education, ethics, ethics education.