Ethics, Computing & Society – Vocabulary Review

A set of key vocabulary flashcards covering ethical theories, Internet concepts, privacy laws, cybersecurity terms, professional ethics, and related topics from the lecture notes.

Ethics

A rational, philosophical examination of people’s moral beliefs and actions.

Morality

Rules of conduct describing what people ought and ought not to do in various situations.

Society

An association of people organized under a system of rules designed to advance the good of its members over time.

Ethical Relativism

The view that there are no universal moral principles and morality is culturally determined.

Ethical Objectivism

The belief that moral principles have an existence independent of human opinion.

Divine Command Theory

Ethical theory claiming that an action’s morality depends on whether it accords with God’s commands.

Ethical Egoism

The theory that people ought to act in their own long-term self-interest.

Categorical Imperative

Kant’s foundational moral rule stating one should act only on maxims that could be universal laws.

Second Formulation (Kant)

Principle that it is wrong for one person to use another merely as a means to an end.

Greatest Happiness Principle

Another name for the Principle of Utility; actions are right if they promote overall happiness.

Utilitarianism

A consequentialist theory holding that the morally right action produces the greatest net happiness.

Consequentialist Theory

Ethical view judging actions solely by their outcomes or consequences.

Moral Luck

Problem that a person’s moral standing may depend on factors beyond their control.

Social Contract Theory

View that moral and political rules are justified by agreements among rational individuals.

State of Nature

Hobbes’s term for life without rules or a means of enforcing them—“solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

Positive Right

A right that others must provide a benefit or service to honor (e.g., education).

Negative Right

A right guaranteed by non-interference from others (e.g., freedom of speech).

Absolute Right

A right guaranteed without exception.

Virtue (Aristotle)

A character trait developed through repetition of appropriate acts that enables human flourishing.

Vice

A character trait that prevents a person from flourishing or becoming truly happy.

Spam

Unsolicited bulk electronic messages, often advertising, sent at very low cost.

Botnet

Network of compromised computers remotely controlled to perform tasks such as sending spam.

IP Address

Numeric label uniquely identifying every device connected to the Internet.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

The unique address of an object (page, file) on the Web.

Wiki

A Web site that allows multiple people to contribute and edit its content collaboratively.

Blog

A personal journal or commentary posted chronologically on the Web.

Web 2.0

Trend toward user-generated content, social networking, and online collaboration.

Crowdsourcing

Obtaining goods, services, or ideas from a large online community rather than traditional employees.

Cryptocurrency

Virtual currency secured by cryptography and typically independent of governments or banks.

Blockchain

Encrypted, distributed ledger that records cryptocurrency or other digital asset transactions.

Direct Censorship

Government actions such as pre-publication review or licensing that suppress speech.

Self-Censorship

Individuals or publishers refraining from expression due to fear of consequences.

Mill’s Principle of Harm

Government should restrict individual actions only to prevent harm to others.

Communications Decency Act (CDA)

1996 law attempting to regulate indecent online content; struck down as unconstitutional.

Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA)

U.S. law requiring federally funded schools and libraries to filter obscene Web content.

Sexting

Sending nude or nearly nude photographs via text or email.

Identity Theft

Crime of using someone else’s personal information for financial gain.

Phishing

Fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information by masquerading as a trustworthy entity.

Cyberbullying

Inflicting psychological harm on another using the Internet or phone system.

Revenge Porn

Non-consensual distribution of intimate images online, a form of cyberbullying.

Internet Addiction

Compulsive, harmful use of the Internet, including variants like excessive gaming.

Copyright

Legal protection granting authors exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, and adapt creative works.

Patent

Government grant giving inventors exclusive rights to make, use, or sell an invention for a period.

Trademark

Symbol, word, or phrase legally registered to represent a company or product.

Trade Secret

Confidential business information that provides a competitive edge.

Non-Fungible Token (NFT)

Unique digital token recorded on a blockchain representing ownership of a digital asset.

Fair Use

Legal doctrine allowing limited use of copyrighted material without permission under certain conditions.

Time Shifting

Recording broadcast media to watch or listen at a later time (Sony v. Universal precedent).

Space Shifting

Moving content from one device to another for personal use (RIAA v. Diamond precedent).

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)

1998 U.S. law criminalizing circumvention of digital rights management and addressing online infringement.

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

Technological controls restricting use, copying, or distribution of digital media.

BitTorrent

Peer-to-peer file distribution protocol optimized for high-speed downloading by sharing upload bandwidth.

Patent Troll

Company that enforces patent rights aggressively without intending to produce the patented product.

Open-Source Software

Software whose source code is publicly available for use, modification, and distribution.

Third Amendment

U.S. constitutional protection against quartering soldiers in private homes.

Fourth Amendment

Constitutional protection against unreasonable searches and seizures; basis for privacy rights.

Public Record

Information reported to a government agency and open for public inspection, e.g., birth certificate.

RFID

Radio-frequency identification; small wireless transmitter used for tracking and identification.

Data Mining

Analyzing large datasets to discover patterns or relationships.

Secondary Use

Using data collected for one purpose for a different, unauthorized purpose.

Opt-In Policy

Privacy policy requiring explicit consumer permission before data sharing.

Targeted Direct Mail

Mailing advertisements only to individuals most likely to respond, based on data analysis.

COPPA

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act; limits data collection from children under 13.

GINA

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act; restricts use of genetic data in employment and insurance.

Code of Fair Information Practices

Set of principles governing collection and use of personal data, emphasizing transparency and consent.

FCRA

Fair Credit Reporting Act; promotes accuracy and privacy of consumer credit information.

FACTA

Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act; grants consumers free annual credit reports.

GLBA

Financial Services Modernization Act; allows banks to merge services and sets privacy obligations.

REAL ID Act

Law setting federal standards for state-issued driver’s licenses to improve identity verification.

FERPA

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; protects privacy of student education records.

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; protects privacy and portability of health data.

USA PATRIOT Act

2001 law expanding government surveillance powers to combat terrorism.

USA Freedom Act

2015 law placing new limits on bulk data collection by U.S. government agencies.

Virus

Self-replicating code embedded in another program that infects files or systems.

Worm

Self-contained program that propagates through networks by exploiting security holes.

Trojan Horse

Program with benign appearance that conceals malicious functionality.

Bot

Compromised computer responding to commands from an external controller in a botnet.

Social Engineering

Manipulating people to divulge confidential information or grant access.

Denial-of-Service Attack

Intentional action that prevents legitimate users from accessing an Internet service.

Real-Time System

Computer system that processes data and responds within strict time constraints.

Embedded System

Computer integrated into a larger device to control its functions.

False Positive

Incorrectly identifying a danger or condition when none exists.

MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System)

Software on Boeing 737 MAX designed to automatically lower the nose during certain maneuvers.

Predictive Policing

Using data analysis to forecast where crimes are likely to occur and allocate resources.

Proxy Variable

In machine learning, a variable highly correlated with a sensitive attribute like race or gender.

Equality of Opportunity (Fairness)

Condition where all qualified individuals have equal chance of selection regardless of group membership.

Mature Profession

Field with specialized knowledge, certification, code of ethics, and public good orientation (e.g., medicine).

Licensing

Legal process granting individuals the right to practice a profession.

Whistle-Blower

Person who makes an unauthorized disclosure about wrongdoing or danger within an organization.

Inclusion

Workplace environment that affirms, celebrates, and appreciates different views and approaches.

Globalization

Process by which the Internet catalyzes integration, breaking down cultural and societal barriers.