Ethical and Social Issues in ICT
The development of ICT has made possible to
store large amount of data in the virtual world and make communication through
it. At the same time, computer crimes and abuse of data, privacy violations,
pornography are increasing.
Challenges of ICT
1.
Virtual Identity
a) A major problem in the ICT environment.
b) Internet criminals enter into the system by creating fake
identities and use the system for their benefits which is difficult to
recognize and control.
2.
Security
a) Hacking or unauthorized access of system is increasing.
b) Hackers are the greatest challenge for the ICT security
personnel.
c) Hackers hack others data and use for their benefits
especially in banking and commercial sectors.
Privacy Issues
a) Cyber bullying is a kind of harassment using mobiles or
computers.
b) Kind of harassment using electronic devices such as
mobiles and computers.
c) Sharing unnecessary information of individual or group of
people is the danger of ICT in this era.
d) Using internet many users bully others.
3.
Copyright
a)
A legal
right that grants the creator of an original work.
b) Because of it openness and easy access, through the
internet, users can easily access the work of others and use them for the
benefits without the permission of the creator.
4.
Social Behavior
a) Excessive use of internet has changed the behavior of the
people.
b) Negative effects on sleep, work and academic achievements
of the students.
c) Usage of unethical sites has increased negative behaviors
and crimes in society.
d) Employees use internet at their workplace for
non-productive works.
5.
Digital Divide
a) The Digital Divide is a social issue
referring to the differing (conflicting) amount of information between those
who have access to the Internet (especially broadband access) and those who do
not have access.
b) In education sector, developing
countries have poor old education systems, so students will not be aware of new
information technologies.
c) In remote areas, they do not even have
power, so information technology looks like computer cannot be used.
d) To get ICT benefits, developing
countries should train their human resource and also adopt new culture which is
a bit costly.
Computer Ethics
Computer ethics can be defined as to follow
the rules and regulation of computer technology and not to harm other computer
users knowingly or unknowingly.
Major Provisions included in computer ethics are:
a) You should not use a computer to harm other people.
b) You should not search the file or record of other people.
c) You should not spread false and illegal information.
d) You should not destroy, erase or edit personal or group
records.
e) You should not use other people’s computer resources
without authorization.
Cyber Law
v Cyber law refers to the laws regarding the internet and
cyberspace which includes a wide variety of legal issues related to the use of
communication technology.
v Cyber Law (also known as Electronic Transaction and
Digital Signature Act (ETDSA)) was passed on 30th Bhadra 2061 (15
September 2004).
The major components included in cyber law are:
a) Electronic and Digital Signature Law
b) Computer Crime / Cyber Crime Law
c) Intellectual property Law
d) Data Protection and Privacy Law
e) Telecommunication Law
International Cyber Law
a) Fair Credit
Reporting Act in 1970
b) Freedom of
Act in 1970
c) Federal
Privacy Act in 1974
d) Video
Privacy Protection Act in 1988
e) Copyright
Act 1992
Digital Signature
A digital signature is an electronic form of a
signature that can be used to authenticate the identity of the sender of a
message or the signer of a document, and also ensure that the original content
of the message or document that has been sent is unchanged.
It is necessary to keep the uniformity standard and
guarantee in all the activities of the e-sector.
Cyber crime
Cyber crime is a crime committed by using
cyber means/computer technology.
Cyber crime is also known as computer-related
crime.
Illegal
activities committed using computer technology
a) Damage to computer and
computer system.
b) Acts to gain illegal access
into the system.
c) Use as weapons to commit
other crimes.
d) Acts against the provision
of cyber law.
Examples
of cyber/computer crimes
a) Creating fake documents
b) Blackmailing/social media
abuse
c) Distribution of pornography
materials
d) Piracy of intellectual
properties
e) Spreading computer
viruses/malware
Digital citizenship
v A digital citizen is anyone
who uses digital tools such as computers, cell phones, or the Internet. You can
use these tools in your work, at school or for recreation.
v
Digital citizenship refers
to the responsible use of technology by anyone who uses computers, the
Internet, and digital devices to engage with society on any level.
v
Digital citizenship applies to “those who use the
Internet regularly and effectively,”
v
Good
digital citizenship engages young students and shows them how to connect with
one another, empathize (understand) with each other, and create lasting
relationships through digital tools.
v
Bad
digital citizenship, on the other hand, entails (involves) cyber bullying,
irresponsible social media usage, and a general lack of knowledge about how to
safely use the Internet.
Examples of Digital Citizenship
a) Communicating
with respect
b) Respecting
other’s privacy
c) Adding
helpful information/context to a discussion or wiki page
d) Supporting
others by offering useful feedback
e) Encouraging
them, or sharing work they’re proud of, etc.
Digital footprint
v A trace of data you create
while using the Internet.
v Includes the websites you
visit, emails you send, and information you submit
to online services.
v Your online identity and individuality
and is what makes you unique.
v It builds the online reputation, or
impression depending on the things you do online.
v It is important to be aware of it
because anything posted online is permanent and stays forever regardless of
being deleted.
v Publishing a blog and
posting social media updates are another popular ways to expand your
digital footprint.
v Every tweet you post on Twitter,
every status update you publish on Face book, and every photo you share
on Instagram contributes to your digital footprint.
v The more you spend time on social
networking websites, the larger your digital footprint will be.
v Even "liking" a page or a Face
book post adds to your digital footprint, since the data is saved on Face
book’s servers.
Types of digital footprints
a) Active digital footprint
b) Passive digital footprint
Active digital footprints
a) An active digital footprint
is where a user knows that they're sharing the information.
b) Posting on Face book,
Instagram, Snap chat, Twitter, and other social media platforms
c) Filling out online forms,
such as when signing up to receive emails or texts
d) Agreeing to install cookies
on your devices when prompted by the browser
Passive
digital footprints
a)
A
passive digital footprint is the information collected from a user without
their knowledge.
b)
Websites
that install cookies in your device without disclosing it to you
c)
Apps
and websites that use geo location to pinpoint your location
d)
Social
media news channels and advertisers that use your likes, shares, and comments to
profile you and to serve up advertisements based on your interests
"Everything leaves a
digital footprint. Whatever gets created may never go away. If they don’t want
to see it tomorrow, they'd better not post it today"
IT Policy 2072
v IT Policy launch in Nepal –
2000 AD (2057 BS)
v Most recent and
the latest information technology policy– ICT Policy 2015 (2072 BS)
v Total laws in
ICT policies 2015 (2072 BS) – 21 Policies
v Strategies in
ICT policies 2015 (2072 BS) – 21 Strategies
v Percentage of
the population will have digital skills by the end of 2020? – 75%
v Percentage of
the population will be able to access the broadband services by 2020? – 90%
v Percentage of
the population of Nepal will have internet access by 2020? – 100%
v Percent of government services will be
provided online by 2020? – 80%
Objectives of IT Policy 2000
a)
To
establish knowledge based industry
b)
To
increase employment
c)
To
build knowledge based society
Vision of ICT Policy 2015
v To transform
Nepal into information and knowledge based society and economy.
Mission of ICT Policy 2015
v To create
conditions for the intensified development and growth of ICT sector as a key
driver for Nepal’s sustainable development and poverty reduction strategies.
Goals of Information and Communication Technology policy
a) Nepal will strive towards
enhancing overall national ICT readiness with the objective of being at least
in the top second quartile of the international ICT development index and e-Government
rankings by 2020.
b) At least 75 percent of the
population will have digital literacy skills by the end of 2020.
c) A universal broadband
access to all people on an equitable basis will be in place. By 2020, 90
percent of the population will be able to access the broadband services.
d) The role and significance
of ICT industries and services (including telecom services) will increase in the Nepali economy with ICT value added (including
digital content and service industry)
accounting for at least 7.5% percent of GDP by 2020.
e) The jurisdiction of Nepal
Telecommunications Authority will be expanded to secure complete alignment with policy provisions
outlined in this document. Along these lines, Nepal Telecommunications
Authority will be renamed Nepal Communication Authority and its areas of
operation restructured accordingly.
f) By 2020, entire population
of Nepal would have access to internet
g) 80% of all citizen facing
government services would be offered on line by 2020
h) e-Procurement will be
promoted as means of driving transparency through government procurement processes covering all public
procurement of goods and services
irrespective of cost and volume of such procurements by 2018
i) G2G implementation would be
promoted with a view to achieving complete automation of the operations of land administration,
revenue administration and management, vital
registration, passport and citizenship certificate services by 2020.
j) Broadband access will be
expanded across the country with the goal of achieving a broadband Internet user penetration rate of
30% at a minimum of 512kbps and making
available at least 10 Mbps download speed on demand in urban areas by
2018.
k) Special funding
arrangements will be developed and implemented within 2018 to support innovation and incubation of on-line
businesses and start-ups
Objectives of National Information and Communication
Technology Policy
a) To empower and facilitate
Nepal’s participation in the Global Knowledge Society.
b) To transform Government
service delivery regime by promoting transparency, efficiency, inclusiveness and participation through
effective utilization of information and
communication technologies
c) To promote ICT to further
productivity among the sectors that is key drivers of the national economy.
d) To create easily accessible,
affordable and innovative public access
points under a comprehensive eCommunity/
Village network initiative;
e) To deploy ICTs at all
levels of Nepali educational system in order to improve educational outcomes
while expanding access to education and training facilities
f) To facilitate the
participation of youths and women in ICTs particularly in media and content
development initiatives;
g) To promote the use of free
and open source software as well as open standard in software development for
government agencies
h) To safeguard
public sector information
and investment against
negative impacts of deploying and using ICTs.
i) To improve communication
systems across the country especially in areas of touristic interest to support
tourism development in the country
j) To conserve natural
resources and safeguard Nepal's heritage using ICT tools.
Implementation of policy and strategy framework
A National Information and
Communication Technology Policy Implementation Steering Committee will be
formed at the Ministry of Information Technology and Communication with the
following structure.
Hon. Minister, Ministry of
Information and Communication Technology Chairperson
Member, National Planning
Commission Member
Secretary, Ministry of
Education Member
Secretary, Ministry of
Health Member
Secretary, Ministry of
Agriculture Member
Secretary, Ministry of
Finance Member
Secretary, Ministry of
Local Development Member
Secretary, Ministry of
Information and Communication Member
Chairman, Nepal
Telecommunications Authority Member
Representative Private Sector / Domain
Expert 2 Members
Joint-Secretary (Policy and
Programme),
Ministry of Information and
Communication Member-Secretary
The primary role of
Information and Communication Technology Policy Implementation Steering
Committee is to provide overall coordination support for the effective
implementation of policy provisions along with monitoring and evaluation of
policy interventions.
The Steering Committee will
form an ICT Policy Implementation Sub-Committee comprising of representation
from the stakeholder community and domain experts, including the private
sector, to provide it with domain specific expert advice and recommendations in
relation to the execution of policy provisions.
Electronic Transaction
v Transactions of electronic
records data by using any types of electronic means.
v Contains electric records and valid digital
medium.
v The exchange of all types of records which are
in the form of electronic.
ETA
(Electronic Transaction Act)
v ETA (Electronic Transaction Act) deals
with issues related to cybercrime and also help in making and implementing laws
over cybercrime.
v It has made different requirements so
that if anyone found having cybercrime, he/she will be punished according to
the scene of the crime.
v He /she can be jailed for minimum from 6
months to a maximum of 3 years and has to pay the penalty according to the
offense.
v Maintaining privacy in the cyberspace,
creating strong passwords, updating the security software, updating password
are some of the techniques to keep secure him /her.
v The computer and cyber crimes such as
hacking, piracy, copyright violation, fraudulent and all other deceitful
activities have been clearly defined and punishments are set accordingly. The
action against such crimes and punishment will be in the range of a minimum Rs
50,000 to a maximum Rs 3,00,000 in cash and six months to three years imprisonment.
v The new legislation has not only
legalized all forms of electronic transactions and digital signatures but has
also clearly spelled out ways to regulate various computer-based activities and
punish cyber crimes.
When was Electronic transaction act 2063 authenticated
and published in Nepal?
— December 8 2006 (22
Mangshir 2063)
Objectives of the Electronic Transaction Act 2063
a)
To
make legal provision for authentication and regulation of electronic data.
b)
To
make a reliable date generation, communication, and transmission.
c)
To
make a secured and authentic means of electronic communication.
d)
To
regulate all the relating matters of electronic transactions.
Scopes of the Electronic Transaction Act 2063
a) Creation and use of digital
signature
b) Control
cyber/computer-related crimes.
c) Protection of intellectual
property.
d) Protection of
confidentiality.
Social Media
v The 'social' part: refers
to interacting with other people by sharing information with them and receiving
information from them.
v The 'media' part: refers
to an instrument of communication, like the internet (while TV,
radio, and newspapers are examples of more traditional forms of media).
v Social
media is computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas,
thoughts, and information through the building of virtual networks and
communities.
v By
design, social media is internet-based and gives users quick electronic
communication of content.
v Content
includes personal information, documents, videos, and photos.
v Users
engage with social media via computer, tablet or smart phone via web-based
software or web application, often utilizing it for messaging.
Many
Forms of Social Media
v Social media may take the form of a
variety of tech-enabled activities. These activities include photo sharing,
blogging, social gaming, social networks, video sharing, business networks,
virtual worlds, reviews and much more.
v Even governments and politicians
utilize social media to engage with constituents and voters.
v For individuals, social media is used
to keep in touch with friends and extended family.
v Some people will use various social
media applications to network career opportunities, find people
across the globe with like interests, and share their thought, feelings,
insight, and emotions. Those who engage in these activities are part of a
virtual social network.
v For businesses, social media is an
indispensable tool. Companies use the platform to find and engage with
customers, drive sales through advertising and promotion, gauge (find) consumer trends, and offering customer
service or support.
Different platforms of
Social media
a)
Facebook - Facebook is a free social
networking Web platform that promotes and facilitates interaction between
friends, family and colleagues. Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg
and several Harvard University classmates.
b)
Twitter
– Twitter is
a free social networking microblogging service that allows registered members
to broadcast short posts called tweets. Twitter was created in March 2006
by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams, launched in July of
that year.
c)
Instagram
– Instagram is the name of an
online photo sharing social Web service that lets you share your life with
friends through a series of pictures captured with a mobile device. Instagram
also supports video uploads.
The Instagram service, which claims to
have more than 100 million users, was founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger
in October, 2010. In April, 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram for $300 million
in cash and 23 million shares of stock -- a total purchase value of nearly $1
billion.
d)
LinkedIn
– LinkedIn is a social networking website designed for business
professionals. It allows you to share work-related information with other users
and keep an online list of professional contacts.
e)
Blogs
– A blog (shortening of “weblog”) is
an online journal or informational website displaying information in the
reverse chronological order, with the latest posts appearing first. It is a
platform where a writer or even a group of writers share their views on an
individual subject.
f)
Wikipedia
– Wikipedia is a free, open content online
encyclopedia created through the collaborative effort of a community of users
known as Wikipedians. Anyone registered on the site can create an article for
publication; registration is not required to edit articles.
Opportunities of using social media
a) People from anywhere can connect with anyone. Regardless
of the location and religion.
b) Millions of people are using social media platforms so it
has a great opportunity to promote business.
c) It is a very fast way of exchanging the information.
d) You can share your ideas and views in a particular area
of interest.
e) It also creates awareness and innovates (introduce new)
the way people live.
f) Communication mechanism is very simple and easy.
Threats of using social media
a) Personal data and privacy can be easily hacked and shared
on the internet.
b) More chances of creating fake accounts.
c) Create health problems.
d) Decrease the working efficiency of people.
e) More chances of spreading unnecessary rumor soon.
f) It can easily collapse someone’s reputation just by
creating a false story and spreading across the social media.
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