The problems, failures, and disadvantages of computer technology Essay Example for Free

The problems, failures, and disadvantages of computer technology Essay 1. The Internet is a Playing Field for Piracy and Privacy Violations 2. Green Dam Curtails Freedom of Expression 3. Computer Technology Tramples on the Freedom of People in Iran 4. Censor: Regulating the Digital Environment is Difficult and Challenging 5. A Failure: The Vulnerability of Computer Technology to Hacking 6. Computer Technology Fails to Secure Cyberspace from Breaches 7. Officially Permitted Hacking: Ethical or Not? 8. Twitter Personal Accounts, Breached 9. Computer Technology gives Large Enterprises Power over Consumers 10. What makes Smoking and Computers Similar? They’re Dangerous to Your Health The Internet is a Playing Field for Piracy and Privacy Violations During the previous month, there have been legal conflicts and arguments in France about the approval and endorsement of an Internet law proposed by the nation’s ruler, Nicolas Sarkozy. President Sarkozy has proposed a law in April that was intended to fight piracy in the country. The law included a proposition of developing an agency that would handle anti-piracy operations, which would be called HADOPI. If approved, the agency would be responsible for tracking down the people who are downloading copyrighted content from the Internet without the permission or approval of the proprietors. However, the efforts of President Sarkozy were scrapped since it was denied by the French courts. In addition, the proposed law has earned many protesters who saw it as a violation to human rights and a biased move to protect large companies that operate through recording, music and movie production, and so on. The situation relates to two opposing issues – Privacy and Intellectual Property. Although the approval of the law may be used to deal with piracy, which is a known crime, its implementation is also a crime in itself because it violates human rights. This is because the law would authorize HADOPI to track down the accounts and activity of online users, which is a clear violation of the people’s right to privacy. The issue appeals to society because it will question what the law and other similar laws truly protect: the interest of the people or large enterprises. This urges society to become involved with policy development and implementation and for law-making bodies or legislators to observe fairness, rationality, and ethics in drafting and endorsing laws. The important thing to remember is to let large enterprises and online users compromise in order to protect the interest and meet the demands of both parties similarly. Bremner, C. (2009). Top French Court Rips Heart Out of Sarkozy Internet Law. Retrieved 18 Jul 2009, from Times Online. Website: http://technology. timesonline. co. uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6478542. ece Green Dam Curtails Freedom of Expression The Republic of China is being criticized for its effort in demanding the installation of the Green Dam Youth Escort software in all computers effective this month. The Green Dam is a computer program that has filtering capabilities. Its installation in computers allows the blocking or filtering of various websites in the World Wide Web such as pornographic sites, violent sites, and so on. However, the organization Human Rights Watch has protested against the Chinese government’s schemes because the Green Dam defies the universal right to freedom of expression. The criticisms arose when the Human Rights Watch found out that the Green Dam was also capable of filtering information in the World Wide Web that discusses politics and presses out the accounts and statements of homosexuals in China. Computer users with Green Dam softwares shall not be able to choose which sites they want to filter out. Perceptibly, the issue presented above relates to the topic of freedom of expression. The Chinese government’s efforts to lobby for the installation of the Green Dam software is a clear violation of the freedom of expression because the software was programmed to be predisposed in choosing which sites people might be able to access. It may be a political scheme for the government to control the kind of information being sent out to the public in order to prevent the disclosure of appalling repositions by the government, but it is definitely discriminatory towards gays, lesbians, bisexuals, etc. Controlling access to the World Wide Web affects society such that the liberty of the people to express themselves and to access any kind of information they want through the Internet is being curtailed by a computer software. This is a sign for the technology industry and the people to come together and support ethics and human rights. Human Rights Watch. (2009). China: Filtering Software Challenges Computer Industry. Retrieved 17 Jul 2009, from Human Rights Watch. Website: http://www. hrw.org/en/news/2009/06/19/china-filtering-software-challenges-computer-industry Computer Technology Tramples on the Freedom of People in Iran With the support of human rights interest groups such as Amnesty International, Freedom House and other representatives of foundations and institutes that advocate for the implementation and observance of policies on human rights, the plight of the people in Iranian has been revealed publicly. Apparently, the Iranian government is implementing strict measures in order to inhibit online freedom in the country. This move was politically motivated, such that the government in Iran is trying to limit the amount of information being publicized through the Internet, specifically on facts about the elections and causes of demonstrations from the masses. The Iranian population has been outraged by the extreme online restrictions the government has implemented. Even social networking sites that were meant to be private online sites or spaces for people have been filtered through sophisticated computer applications in order to prevent the people in Iran from posting their personal thoughts and opinions. The situation in Iran does not only relate to the issue of freedom of speech or expression, but also the right of the people to adequate and unbiased information. The violations of the Iranian government stretch out to graver circumstances since it has resorted to physical violence towards online writers or journalists who post local information for the world to see. The resolution of such situations also relates to the observance and assertion of professional ethics and responsibility; that is, the moral sense to end the Iranian government’s oppression of the masses. This is just an example that conveys the two sides of computer technology. It may be used to benefit man, but at the same time, people may use it to trample on freedom and human rights. It serves as a reminder for people to always be vigilant and stand their ground against tyranny and. Robinson, D. (2009). Human Rights Groups, Media Organizations Call for Internet Freedom in Iran. Retrieved 18 Jul 2009, from Voice of America. Website: http://www. voanews. com/english/2009-06-18-voa67. cfm.