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ICT Ethics Newsletter
No.2 April 2012 ICT Ethics Newsletter Three months since the last newsletter and membership increasing month on month, so welcome to our new members! This Newsletter is our way of keeping you informed of what‟s going on in the ICT Ethics arena, and to encourage you to take part – our Linkedin group is there for you to join in discussions and to let us know what‟s on your mind, and our Web page has the Newsletters, events, links to relevant external documents. It also links to the Code of Conduct you have all signed up to follow … it was revised last June and is absolutely relevant to ICT today in promoting equal access, privacy and security, and the environment – take a fresh look … Penny Duquenoy, Chair. What‟s going on in our Linkedin group? Is it ethical to exclude PC's from the Internet if they are infected? Data Mining; Cloud Computing; Internet of Things … To comment on this and see what others say, join our Linked-in group … Just some of the areas covered in the latest Opinion of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies to the European Commission: BCS ICT Ethics SG LinkedIn Ethics of Information and Communication Technologies In this Newsletter … Recommendations cover: Right of Access to ICT; Right to Privacy and Protection of Data; Social aspects - Digital Divide; Political Participation; Sphere of Commerce; CrossCorrelative Data Mining; Environment and Raw Materials. Summary of our group London event: “Ethics and the Internet of things – an Oxymoron?” BCS Thought Leadership Debate: “Will it be possible to be a full (UK) citizen in ten years time without access to digital broadband services?” Research on ethics and ICT In eBCS Newsletter 03/04/2012 BCS Policy Hub We want your views on the government's proposed email and web monitoring plans. Discussion is now live in the Policy Hub. http://www.bcs.org/category/16406 Reading Your participation ICT Ethics SG Committee Members On the subject of the Internet of Things … Our three guest speakers at the recent evening event in London on “Ethics and the Internet of Things – an Oxymoron?” gave some interesting insights on the sheer scale of connections, presented thought provoking scenarios on, among other things, a connected home, and provided much food for thought on the implications of monitoring energy consumption through smart meters. Slides from the event will be available on our web page soon … THANKS TO: Robin Duke-Woolley: CEO of Beecham Research Limited (BRL), a technology market research, analysis and consulting firm established in 1991. It focuses on the growing M2M connected devices market and the increasing use of Remote Device Management and Services – also referred to by terms such as: Embedded Connectivity, Embedded Networking, Remote Device Monitoring, Remote Asset Management, Pervasive Internet and Pervasive Computing. Summary of slides: Robin's slides show the range of 'connected services' in Machine to Machine (M2M) communication, grouped by service sectors (such as buildings, consumer and home, healthcare, transport, among others) and the devices that support those services. He shows the significance of the devices as the means of access to services, and less significant in themselves. That is, M2M introduces a different business model based on service supply, and 'pay as you use'. In each business case example, Return on Investment, cost of implementation, service opportunity, etc., he notes that there is no mention of ethics (slide 7). However, as data exchange is introduced and shared across sectors, some issues can be seen. Smart cities, for example, show the use of connected devices in healthcare (in the home) and for security and public safety (on the streets). He concludes with example applications that may raise ethical issues: Smart meters; Remote healthcare monitoring; PAYD insurance; People tracking . . . Paul Green: Director of Technology and Marketing at Arkessa, a UK-based company which provides a range of connectivity and data management services designed specifically to enable the remote Internet for equipment, machines and devices. Summary of slides: Paul took an „in context‟ view of the application of Internet of Things “extending the Internet to anything, everywhere”. The surveillance society (slide 5) shows the potential of CCTV, voice characteristics (in respect of possible violent behaviours), and driver behaviour (potential for accidents). He showed a range of devices in the home capable of monitoring lifestyle choices and behaviours, and introduced our future challenge of “knowing what to care about”, such as privacy issues. The presentation ended with „signs of hope‟ with regard to these issues, in the shape of information limits, and access controls, among others. Sarah Darby: deputy programme leader of the Lower Carbon Futures research team at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford. Her research centres on how technologies are adopted and adapted by users, and on the development of smart metering and smart grids. Summary of slides: Sara presented an overview of „utility metering‟ for energy management and the implications of smart grids. The benefits of using intelligent technologies for predicting and managing demands for electricity are clear, and intelligent technologies can help in providing information on energy use as well as offer the ability to control usage by customers by various means (applying different tariffs at different time, remote management – enabling and disabling use, etc.). Recognising the issues of data collection and the implications for users, the EU has made recommendations regarding smart grids that include “data protection by design” and “data protection by default”. The ethical issues highlighted by Sara in the last slide are: Ethical issues about data security and protection; also about risk, diversity, equity and control. BCS Thought Leadership Debate “Will it be possible to be a full (UK) citizen in ten years time without access to digital broadband services?” In November 2011 the BCS hosted a Thought Leadership Debate on the theme of digital inclusion. Three speakers were invited to give their take on the question with a short presentation. The speakers were: Trevor Philips, OBE, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Helen Milner, CEO, UK Online Richard D North from the Institute of Economic Affairs The participants at the event were then charged with the task of tackling the following questions (two for each group): Question one: Is digital literacy in the 21st century an equivalent competence to literacy and numeracy in the 20th? If so who has the key responsibility to equip citizens accordingly? Question two: Does the state have a duty to ensure that all public services are accessible and useable by all before removing other channels of communication? Question three: Should those who decide not to use digital channels (sometimes termed digital resisters) pay extra for retaining non digital channels of communication with public services? Question four: Who should bear the cost of removing some of the barriers to access (e.g. the cost of adaptive technology, advice and information) for older and disabled people and for those living in poverty? Question five: Which approach should now work better to help to reduce digital exclusion; widening the provision of digital infrastructure or providing attractive, simple digital facilities which the excluded might choose to use? Question six: what role should the BCS, as the lead professional body, play in promoting digital inclusion and minimising digital exclusion? ►You can put your own questions and views in the discussion area of the ICT ethics group - in the ICT Ethics Specialist Group members area on the BCS website. (www.bcs.org) ►And/or join our LinkedIn group, and post them there … Research on Ethics and ICT (i) European co-funded project “EGAIS” (The Ethical Governance of Emerging Technologies) This 34 month project finished at the end of February (2012). The aim of the project was to give a different perspective on the ethical governance of research projects in Europe, mainly in the technical field. That is, the institutional and organisational conditions which allow ethical questions to be addressed by the participants in the project (including stakeholders). In short, it is about encouraging critical reflection by all involved on potential ethical issues, and the norms on which the issues are based. At a final conference held in Brussels at the end of January invited experts representing industry, academia, society, and the European Commission were asked to address the following questions: Is there a role for ethics in an emerging technology project? How could you conduct an ethical analysis and identify ethical issues in a technical project? What kind of institutional change is needed to encourage the integration of ethics within development projects? What would be the consequences and limits, in terms of the project and social-economic impact, of integrating ethics within emerging technology development? The final recommendations of the project include suggestions for Professional Bodies to help their members: establish procedural guidelines and codes; refer to the EU repository for ethical review documentation; introduce ethics training sessions for new members; emphasise that ethics governance is about „process‟ rather than „outcome‟; involved all stakeholders in the process, finding the most beneficial blend of persons to include in the dialogue (civic society, end users, and in the research team itself). More details on the project and its outputs (Deliverables) can be found at: http://www.egais-project.eu/ including an overview in a magazine format. For additional information on current ethics review issues from the European Commission see Additional Information related to undertaking ICT research in FP7. (ii) Framework for Responsible Research & Innovation in ICT This is a current EPSRC-funded project. The overall aim of the project is to: develop an in-depth understanding of ICT researchers‟ ethical issues and dilemmas in conducting ICT research; provide of a set of recommendations and good practice to be adopted by EPSRC and the community; create a self sustaining „ICT Observatory‟ serving as a community portal and providing access to all outputs of the project. Forthcoming events* 21st May: Identifying and addressing ethical issues in technology-related social research. Location: eResearch Centre, Oxford, UK. 2nd July: Symposium on a Framework for Responsible Research and Innovation in Artifical Intelligence. Birmingham, UK. * For further details, including registration, see: http://responsible-innovation.org.uk/frriict/events/ ________________________________________________________________ READING Journal: Special issue of Science and Engineering Ethics Science and Technology Policy in the Making: Observation and Engagement Issue 17, Volume 4, December 2011 In response to science policies across the industrialized world that imply expanded notions of science and technology governance, science studies scholars have sought to design exercises aimed at better attuning science to its public contexts. As demand increases for innovative and potentially democratic forms of public engagement with science and technology, so also do the prospects for insights from science studies to contribute to policy agendas and institutional capabilities. This collection brings together an international set of scholars in science, technology and society who inquire into the meaning, efficacy and responsibility of engaged science studies scholarship as a public matter. http://www.springerlink.com/content/g41047781638/ Book: Moralizing Technology: Understanding and Designing the Morality of Things. Author: Peter-Paul Verbeek Publisher: The University of Chicago Press, 2011. www.press.uchicago.edu ISBN-13: 978-0-226-85293-5 ISBN-10: 0-226-85293;8 IF YOU HAVE ITEMS OF INTEREST, RESEARCH, READING SUGGESTIONS, OR SOMETHING ELSE FOR THIS NEWSLETTER CONTACT US … See next page for email links … Your participation in this Specialist Group We are investigating the possibilities of recording the events we hold so that all our members have the opportunity to ‘catch up’. We encourage you to take part in the group by hosting events (workshops/meetings/web discussions/ etc.) and setting up discussions (Linked-in and the Members discussion area). So far the format of three speakers with presentations and a panel session following has worked well, in the time we have available (around 2 hours). If you would like to host an event, or can suggest topics of interest (with some idea of speakers) we would be happy to hear from you. If you don’t have experience, don’t worry, we can help. If you can offer a location but need a topic and speakers, I am sure we can help there too … Most of all we would like this group to reflect your interests in ICT ethics, as well as us sharing our news with you. If you have something you think is of interest to our SG, or have something to contribute to our Newsletter, please contact one of the Committee members, or Penny/Denise (email below). We are still in the process of planning our events for the year – if you would like to host something, or have an idea for something you think is of interest please let us know. Region/Branch events: please contact us if you would like us to contribute to your local BCS group in some way. Penny Duquenoy; Denise Oram BCS Volunteer Portal Have you seen the new Volunteer Portal? http://www.volunteer.bcs.org/ Two photos of our “Ethics and the Internet of Things” are on display … have a look … The Portal is there for you - make the most of it … ICT Ethics SG Committee Chair: Penny Duquenoy Secretary/Treasurer: Denise Oram Peter Buchanan Bernd Carsten Stahl Jennifer Dean Ian Fish Marina Jirotka Ian Thornton-Bryar Anthony Whipp BCS ICT Ethics Committee Members – some short bios Penny Duquenoy is a Principal Lecturer and researcher at Middlesex University, London, teaching professionalism and ethics to engineering and information science students. Recent funded research projects investigate how to consider and address ethical and social impacts of ICT during the project design and development stage (current and future technologies)*. A longstanding member of IFIP (International Association of Information Professionals) with Working Group 9.2 on Social Accountability, and Chair of IFIP Special Interest Group 9.2.2 “Framework for Ethics”, she is also a member of the BCS Ethics Group. *ISIS project (EPSRC/ESRC) and EGAIS (Ethical governance of emerging technologies) Peter Buchanan runs an independency consultancy www.thinkgov.co.uk focussed on using IT to enable the public sector, in strategy, innovation or procurement. He is also a founding Director of www.savingfrompoverty.org.uk, a Community Interest Company that has developed and continues to campaign for a weekly budgeting service for vulnerable consumers. Within the BCS Peter is Vice Chair of the Membership Board, Chair of its Policy Committee, Vice Chair of the Shropshire Branch and Vice Chair of the Ethics Group. Bernd Carsten Stahl is Professor of Critical Research in Technology and Director the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. His interests cover philosophical issues arising from the intersections of business, technology, and information. This includes the ethics of ICT and critical approaches to information systems. From 2009 to 2011 he served as coordinator of the EU FP7 research project on "Ethical Issues of Emerging ICT Applications" ETICA and from 2012 to 2015 he serves as coordinator of the EU FP7 research project “Civil Society Organisations in Designing Research Governance“ (CONSIDER) Ian Thornton-Bryar, DipM, DMS, FIMC, FBCS, CMC, CITP, a Prince2™ and MSP™ Practitioner and a Lead TickIT (ISO 9000) Assessor was eventually a multi-nationally practised Programme/Transformation Director or Manager, based on 40 years industry experience. His project/programme budgets have ranged up to $220m/£301m, operational budgets to $2.5bn. During the last 15-20 years he gained wide-ranging project/programme disaster recovery expertise. Many of those incipient disasters stemmed from questionable ethics by one or more of the parties. For about 5 years he was membership secretary of the Association for Professional Computer Consultants, a body which believed that IT Consultants should not have conflicts of interest. He also acted as an Expert Witness in 14 IT contract disputes, which experience strongly reinforced his belief in the need for more rigorous ethics in IT professionals. He now mentors around 4 BCS PPM members. Denise is secretary for the BCS Ethics SG, a member of the BCS Ethics Group, and an examiner for BCS Professional issues. She is currently Senior Lecturer in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Glyndwr University and is a member of both the university’s Ethics and Research Ethics Committee. Her research interests cover systems failure, social responsibility and professional and ethical dimensions of emerging trends in IT, and Technology and Society. She is interested in creating awareness of the wider implications that new digital technologies have on both education and society. She is especially interested in exploring frameworks for ethical decision-making in the process of creation and development of new technologies to address sustainability to develop new standards in order to support this change.