Appendix to Anderson - General Moral Imperatives - The Research Center on Computing & Society

Text-only Version

Guidelines for Interpreting and Following
the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
(Draft No. 21 – 11/02/91)

The Task Force for the Revision of the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct prepared these interpretations of the proposed draft Code. The Task Force proposes that periodic updates and extensions of this document be prepared by the ACM Executive Committee or a designated committee.

1. General Moral Imperatives

As an ACM member I will…

1.1 Contribute to society and human well-being.

This principle concerning the quality of life of all people should be interpreted as an obligation to protect fundamental human rights and to respect the diversity of all cultures. An essential aim of computing professionals is to minimize negative consequences of systems for users, including threats to health and safety. In system design and implementation, computing professionals should attempt to ensure that the systems are used in socially responsible ways by assessing whether or not social needs will be met and by avoiding harmful effects to health and welfare. In addition to a healthy social environment, human well-being includes a healthy natural environment. Therefore, computing professionals who design and develop systems should be alert to, and make others aware of, any potential damage to the local or global environment. In order to fulfill this imperative, the computing professional may have to contribute uncompensated time and expense.

1.2 Avoid harm to others.

“Harm” means injury or any negative consequences, thus it prohibits actions within a computer system that result in harm to any of the following: users, the general public, employees, employers. Harmful actions include intentional destruction or modification of files and programs leading to serious loss of resources.

Unintended actions may also lead to harm. In such an event the person or responsible party is obligated to undo or mitigate the negative consequences caused unintentionally or unknowingly. One way to avoid unintentional harm to make choices considerate of all those affected by the decision.

To keep from indirectly harming others, computing professionals must minimize malfunctions by following generally accepted standards for system design and testing. Furthermore, they must attempt to assess the social consequences of systems in order to project the likelihood of any serious harm to others. If system features are misrepresented to users, coworkers, or supervisors, the individual computing professional is responsible for the resulting injury.

In his or her work environment the computing professional has the additional obligation to report any signs of system dangers that might result in serious personal or social damage. If one’s superiors do not act to curtail such dangers, it may be necessary to “blow the whistle” in order to correct the problem or reduce the risk. Before “whistle blowing,” risk must be thoroughly assessed, and it is suggested that advice be sought from other computing professionals. See principle 2.5 regarding thorough evaluations.

1.3 Be honest and trustworthy.

Honesty is an essential component of trust, and without trust, an organization or a profession can not function effectively. The honest computing professional will not make deliberately false or deceptive claims about a system or system design. He or she will offer full disclosure of all pertinent system limitations and errors. A computer professional has a duty to be honest about his or her own qualifications, and about any competing obligations that might lead to conflicts of interest. Furthermore, an ACM member will not misrepresent ACM or its policy in any way.

1.4 Be fair and take action not to discriminate.

The values of equality, tolerance, and respect for others underlie the fairness imperative, as do the principles of equal justice and. Discrimination on the basis of any distinguishable social characteristics such as race, sex, religion, age, disability or national origin will not be tolerated.

Inequities between different groups of people may result from the use of information and technology. A fair society will have equal access to computer resources regardless of race, gender, disability, age, or other such characteristics.

1.5 Honor copyrights and patents.

Violation of copyrights, patents, and the terms of license agreements is prohibited. Copies of software should be made only with proper authorization; unauthorized duplication of any materials should not be condoned.

1.6 Give proper credit for intellectual property;

Computing professionals are obligated to protect the integrity of intellectual property. Specifically, one should not steal ideas or take credit for other’s work.

1.7 Respect rights to limit access to computing and communication systems.

Theft or destruction of tangible and electronic property is prohibited by imperative 1.2 – “Avoid harm to others.” Trespassing and unauthorized use of a computer or communication system is addressed by this imperative. Individuals and organizations should have the right to restrict access to their systems so long as they do not violate the discrimination principle (see 1.4). No one should enter or use another’s computer system, software or data files without permission. One must always get appropriate approval before using another’s system resources such as computer time.

1.8 Respect the privacy of others.

Computers and related information technology enable the collection and exchange of personal information. Consequently computer systems sometimes increase the potential for violating the privacy of specific individuals and groups. Many codes specify the responsibilities of professionals to maintain the privacy and integrity of data describing individuals.

In March 1991 the ACM Council passed a “resolution on legislative guidelines to protect privacy of individuals.” Computer professionals should ensure that systems do not diminish individual privacy, which encompasses actions that maintain the reliability and accuracy of any personal information held in a system. Furthermore, procedures should be established that allow individuals to review their records and correct inaccuracies. This imperative requires that only a minimal amount of personal information be collected in a system, that retention and disposal periods for that information be clearly defined, and that personal information gathered for one purpose not be used for another purpose without the person’s consent. These principles apply to electronic communications, including electronic mail, and prohibit procedures that capture or monitor electronic messages without the permission of users.

1.9 Honor confidentiality.

The principle of honesty extends to issues of confidentiality of information whenever one has made a promise to honor confidentiality. The general ethical concern is to respect all promises of confidentiality to employers, clients, and users. However, one is discharged from this obligation if the law requires that the confidential information be divulged.

Back to the top

Go to: Additional Professional Obligations

Home > Research Resources > Computing and Privacy > Appendix to Anderson

The Research Center on Computing & Society
at Southern Connecticut State University
501 Crescent Street • New Haven, CT 06515
Director: (203) 392-6790 • e-mail: webmaster@computerethics.org

© 2000 – 2007 – Research Center on Computing & Society