Social - Professional and Ethical Issues in Social Networks

Question: Discuss about the Social, Professional and Ethical Issues in Social Networks. Answer: Introduction It is important to comprehend the issues of legal, social and professional responsibilities in order to use the information system properly and securely. In this case, information security personnel have an important role in managing liability for privacy as well as security risks in information system. With current ongoing trends of internet and social networks, it become necessary to comprehend the issues and follow avoiding and eliminating techniques in order to overcome the security issues involved with it. Present report deals with the ethical issues associated with social networks and legal issues as well. Moreover, social issues relate to the privacy as well as security issues in social network are discussed in the study. There are some aspects of personal freedom for using social networks. The rules for being a member of social network, it is required to create balance in individual rights to making self-determination against the requirements of society, which is defined as laws or ethics (Grajales et al. 2014). In general, laws are the rule, which mandates as well as prohibit the certain behavior. These are drawn from the ethics. In addition, socially acceptable behavior is defined by ethics. In addition, there are key differences between the laws and ethics. Laws carry out authority of a particular governing. On contrary, ethics is based on the cultural factors. In addition, it is important to develop fixed moral attitudes and customs of a specific group. Ethical standards are generally universal like murder, assault and murder. Fast emergence as well as vast acceptance of the social networking sites has revolutionized behavior of human, lifestyle as well as thinking (Denscombe 2014). The sites of social networking become the absolute hits among the end users regardless of their age, location as well as sex. The users of internet seem to mesmerize as well as hypnotized through beauty and power of online tools of social networking. These are able to improve capabilities of social networking with the endless future possible extension. Consequentialism is based on two major principles that act right or wrong depending on the results of the particular act. There are more good consequences that act with the process and having better and get more right to the act. In addition, consequentialism provides guidance that can be faced with moral dilemma. An individual selecting the action can be maximized with good consequences. Along with these, it provides general guidance on the particular process. There are various forms of making consequentialism that is different over the process having good things that can be maximized. Utilitariamism states that persons need to maximize human welfare as well as well-being. On the other hand, Hendonism states that people need to maximize pleasure for human. In the other forms, consequentilism takes subtle approach that states people needs to subtle approach that people require maximize by making satisfaction of getting informed as well as rational preferences. Brinkmann (2014) stated that consequentialism is defined as the class of normative ethical theories that holds consequences of conducting the ultimate basis for judgment regarding the rightness of conduction the ethics in social networking sites. In addition, it is required to make the standpoint that involves morally appropriate act. On the other hand, the idea of consequantialism is generally producing the encapsulated in using the social networks securely. It is important to be contrasted with the deontological ethics. In that part, the rules as well as moral duty are central. It drives the appropriateness or wrongness of conducting the character of users behavior in social networking sites (Chretien et al. 2013). There are pragmatic ethics that treats morality such as science in advancing socially over the course of several lifetimes. Some of the arguments are involved with consequentialist as well as deontological theories that are essentially exclusive in mutual cases. In addit ion, Mohist consequentialism is known as the state consequentialism. It assesses moral worth of a particular action that is based on contribution to welfare and security for social networking users. On the other hand, consequentialism is based on the principles if there is an act and wrong dependency on the results of the specific act. There are proper consequences of the act that generates better right of using social network sites. It provides proper guidance while using the moral dilemma. Weiss (2014) commented that it is important to select proper action, which increases proper consequences of the act. It provides general guidance to the process of making the consequence. Moreover, it is important to select the proper action and distinctive forms of consequentilaism of the things that can be maximized. Utilitariasim states that it is required to increase well-being of the users of social networks. On the other hand, hendonism states that uses need to maximize human pleasure. Consequentialism represents belief as well as moral of the system that is involved with ethical theory, which stems from particular ideas of consequntiliasm. Primary idea regarding the issues determines an action that solely focused on the result. On contrary, consequences of the idea are involved with the action that can be debated for several years. It helps to promote happier world, strong sense of purpose and helping with the tough choices. On the other hand, negative use of consequentiliasm is based on the result that makes accurate judgment. It is difficult to determine the exact consequences of the action. Kantianism theory states that there are certain types of actions consists of murder, theft as well as lying are required to be prohibited. Use of the ethic can be applicable in the use of social networking sites. It is important to take action that can bring several risks involved with the usage of the sites (Moorhead et al. 2013). There are two questions which are required to ask and take decision for the act. Everyone involved in the act as proposing the act. It is also important to perform the action and respect the targets of human beings rather than utilizing the purposes. The Kantianism theory is one of the examples of deontological moral theory. As per the theory, appropriateness of the theory and makes the process of making consequences of the process that is helpful to generate the process in it. Morality as well as imperatives is involved to determine through making categorical imperative of the process. In addition, there are categorical imperatives that have different for mulations. Reamer (2013) mentioned that with the help of this ethics, formulation of act is achieved through allowing anything that can allow every person to maximize the process. There is a maxim rule and principle through which it can be achieved and make benefits in the use of the formalities. It is important to allow anything to achieve the expected things that can allow obligated for keeping own promises. In addition, it is required to create imperative functions as a test to watch the principles upon which the actions are based on morally permissible. Rubin and Babbie (2016) asserted that the social networking sites need to consider the process of all stakeholders in making decisions. The organizations need not to be affected with the policies and rules of determining the situation. It is vital to consider all the process that would be helpful to determine the issues and make the decisions of the grounds. In addition, it is important to consider and use the rules strictly with the help of inconsistent and make analysis of the issues related with the social networking sites. Social network enables the structure of the companies and organizations. Putting the news of the launch of the products and services helps the personnel to enhance the brand awareness of the customers (Courtney 2013). Execution of search engine optimization supports the personnel to directly search for the products, which results in the expansion of the business. Along with this, social network helps the personnel of the companies and organization to increase the trafficking of the audience towards the products and services. Creation of website portals and keeping the provision of feedbacks makes the personnel aware of the customer approaches in terms of the levied products and services. Regular surfing of these portals brings improvements in the services of the companies and organization. Social media becomes one of the most active demographic on social media. However, rapid increase of the use of social media requires norms and rules to be regulated so that it can be helpful for people to access social network. There is copyright law supports the basic idea whether a person creates something; he is able to decide the accessible person in it. It is also applied to the online that helps to access permission of creator that can be breach of copyright. The right of privacy can be protected through convention on the human rights. There is a case ruled by the employers that can read the private messages of workers. In spite of these wide-ranging benefits of social network, there are many disadvantages, which stall the path of technological advancement for the companies and organizations. Typical examples of these disadvantages are cyber crimes, which results in the loss of important official documents. McKee (2013) defined that adherence and compliance to the standards and norms of the regulatory framework plays an active role in curbing these crimes. One of the most important acts in this direction is Data Protection Act (1998). Effective adherence to this act enables the personnel to ensure the safety, security and privacy of the personal belongings of the stakeholders, shareholders and agency partners (Kind et al. 2014). The presence of the action of protection itself projects its functionality. Exposure of conscious attitude in abiding by the propositions of this act aligns with the responsibility of the personnel to preserve the individual sentiments of the partners in business. Within this, an important consideration is the users, who have the access to the data of the customers, staffs and the other partners. De Vaus (2013) mentioned that adequate verification of the achieved accesses, prior to the online transactions proves beneficial for the companies and organizations in terms of averting the cyber crimes. Herein, lays the effectiveness of the password, which denies access to an unknown visitor, who is unfamiliar with th e access systems. In spite of this, many persons adopt illegal means to get an access to the personal belongings of the customers or staffs. These persons are called hackers, as they try to intervene into the personal accounts of the customers and staffs. Sampasa-Kanyinga and Lewis (2015) stated that this bears resemblance with the Computer Misuse Act (1990), which played an active part in reducing the unauthorized access of the hackers into the personal accounts. As per the strict initiatives of the statutory bodies of UK laws and legislation, anyone found guilty in this regards is liable for punishment up to six months of imprisonment and a fine, the amount of which equals to 5000. One of the other acts is the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act (1988). According to this, act, the management of the companies and organizations are entrusted with the responsibility to possess a copyright for the online activities that they carry out (Cheston et al. 2013). As per the other propositions of this Act, the personnel of the companies and organizations are prohibited to download copy or obtain information from the forbidden sites. Violation of this rule is punishable under the functioning of the statutory body of law. Kimball and Kim (2013) mentioned that Official Secret Act (1911) helps the personnel of the companies and organizations to maintain the privacy of the official data. Violation of the rules and regulation of this Act compels the criminal to pay penalties. In order to avoid such situations, full verification of the emails, messages that is achieved online. Negligence towards this verification compels the management of the companies and organizations to lose several important data. One of the major concerns is the defamation, which degrades the standards of the companies and organizations within the market. Defamation Act of 1996 orders the management of the companies and organizations for immediate removal of the leaked information, which might avert further encounter of losses (Gholami-Kordkheili et al. 2013). Effective consideration of all these laws, while carrying out online transactions helps the personnel to safely store the personal data of the customers and the agency partners. For carrying out the online activities, the companies and organizations are binded within certain ethics, which establishes authenticity and validity in the business activities. Two of such ethics are the ACM Ethics and Professional Conduct (Verhoef et al. 2014). The following provides detailed insight into the dynamics of both the ethics. Association for Computer Machinery (ACM) is a central doctrine for the members regarding the effective and judicious utilization of the computers. The division of the doctrine into 24 parts binds the members into a commitment regarding adherence and compliance to the norms (Torri et al. 2016). These parts are further divided into sub-sections, which enhances the clarity of the personnel towards the workplace ethics that the professionals need to follow. Section 1 provides an insight into the basic ethics, that the professionals need to expose while working in the workplace (George et al. 2013). Section 2 projects the additional code of conduct that the professionals need to expose in front of the external agencies. Section 3 of the doctrine reflects the ethics, that the leaders need to possess for guiding the team members towards the identified and the specified goals. Section 4 deals with the principles, which the professionals need to abide by. Tseng and Kuo (2014) commented that the supplement of these sections in the form of guidelines would help the personnel to deal with the issues that arise in the workplace. The main purpose of the guidelines would be to preserve the ethics and core values of the companies and organizations, while taking decisions for their betterment. Along with this, the guidelines would play an active part in providing the victim with the opportunity to file a suit or claim against the culprit. This makes the culprit liable for punishment in terms of paying compensation for the lost honor and respect. The guidelines do not directly utter the ethics of utilizing the computer devices; however, the mentioned rules and regulations are applicable for all the business activities and the methods adopted for executing them (Murphy et al. 2014). Violation in this direction is the violation of the organizational norms as a whole. In comparison to the ACM, BCS code of conduct establishes standards for being a member of a particular team in the companies and organizations. The rules and regulations are applicable for all the personnel, who are registered under the statutory body of law. Herein, the type of membership, their roles, employment takes a back seat. The major concern here is the behavioral conduct of the individual. This code of conduct has several parameters. One of this is the breach of conduct (Reamer 2013). Under the rules and regulation of this parameter, if any person becomes aware of the incident of breach of conduct, he is entrusted with the responsibility to immediately report to the governing body of law. This rule is also applicable for the persons, who are not the members of the BCS group. BSC code of conduct has set professional standard needed by BC. It is a condition of membership that can be applied to every member beyond of grade of membership, the role that needs to be fulfilled and jurisdiction that can be employed based on the contractual obligations. In addition, it has ability to govern the conduct of every person. The members are expected to do exercise about making own judgment that can be reasonably justified. On the other hand, commitment to the ethical professional conduct that is expected each of the members of association. The ACM code includes 24 imperatives that can be formulated through statements of the personal responsibility. It can identify the components of making commitments. However, there are several issues include in the code that require to minimize. Upon proving a person guilty under the norms of BCS, the victim needs to produce a Standard Disclosure Certificate stating the in-depth details of the guilt. The time limit of providing this notice is 28 days, violation of which compels the court to declare the criminal free of any charges (Hamm et al. 2013). This acts as a deviation from the usual conventions of the workplace ethics, as it snatches away the right of the victim party to file a suit of claim against the culprit. Within BCS, the public interest of both the parties involved is taken into consideration, as both possess the individual rights to voice out their opinions. This consideration is assistance towards maintaining the integrity and respect towards the members. It is the duty of the relevant personnel to look into the matter with due consideration for restoring the justice to the victim. Involvement of the third parties needs to be verified for ensuring the protection of the members. Reamer (2013) stated that the verification aligns with the evaluative step, which enables the personnel to avert the risk management issues and emergencies. Exposure of conscious attitude towards compliance to both the code of conduct results in the up-gradation of the corporate attitude of the personnel. Social issues Adherence and compliance to the laws and regulations helps the companies and organizations to carry out the online transactions in an efficient and effective manner. Along with this, it acts as a protective cover watch over the business activities and adds a legal touch to the business processes (Ngai et al. 2015). Data Protection Act helps the personnel to safeguard the personal belongings of the customers and the other agency partners. Apart from this, Computer Mis-utilization Act reduces the misuse of the computer devices. As a matter of specification, effective compliance to these acts helps the personnel to nullify the power of the hackers in terms of intervening into the personal accounts of the customers and the agency partners. As mentioned by Shapiro and Margolin (2014), having a copyright for the online transactions authenticates and validates the activities, which builds reliance, trust and dependence among the customers towards the products and services of the companies and organizations. Not having a copyright allows the hackers to intervene into the official data and secret of the companies and organizations. Herein, the Official Secret Act is nullified. Possessing conscious and rational approach towards the adherence to the rules and regulations adds values to the roles and responsibilities of the personnel. This reflects their corporate attitudes. Specific compliance to the sub-sections of these directives enhances the clarity of the professionals in terms of fitting themselves into the workplace. The commonality of the word code in both the directives alarms the personnel in terms of preserving the core values of the organization. Violation in this regards in the degradation of the personnel as well as organization as a whole. The aspect of conduct can be correlated with the professional attitude of the professionals (Bowen 2013). Exposure of conscious and rational attitude in the execution of the workplace operations qualifies the personnel as leaders amidst the rat race to emerging successful the age of competition. Instead, the exposure of rational and intellectual approach in terms of the business operations leads to the professional development of the professionals. This upgrades the personality of the professionals, which nullifies the importance of the directives of code of conduct. Countering this, these directives are needed for maintaining the decorum of the workplace and adding efficiency in the business activities. Exposure of negligence in this direction aggravat es the instances of conflicts and discriminations, which destroys the sanctity of the workplace. This destruction deviates from the usual conventions of the workplace ethics, which results in the establishment of professionalism. Moreover, it detaches the personnel from the professional development, which again project the need of the directives relating to the ethical code of conduct. Viewing It from the other perspective, these directives are needed for regulating and controlling the performance of the personnel so that they attain success even in the greater platforms. Emerging successful in this regards equals to the corporate attitude of the personnel (Capurro et al. 2014). Attachment of the concepts of CSR in this, conscious approach of the personnel towards the wellbeing of the customers and other agency partners enhances and upgrades the status of the companies and organizations. Effective utilization of the means of social media is a typical support in this direction, which makes the personnel aware of the organizational issues. However, judicious utilization of this means is an added advantage for the personnel in terms of managing the trafficking of the audience towards the brand image. Limitation and vulnerabilities Social media is updating for providing more security followed be social, ethical and professional ethics to the users. However, the use of social media sites has several limitations and vulnerabilities involved with it. The future of social media deals with providing less. Hence, the design of social media makes constraint invasive as well as harmful practices. On the other hand, it is required to make online social interaction that can be safe as well as sustainable. In this aspect, it is required to embrace the drawbacks involved with it. The ephemeral media service of Snapchat did an announcement regarding the rending of API that is inaccessible for third party. It is a vital step for the organization that promises images would disappear within few seconds. However, Snapchat apps allow people to make the process in order to save hundreds of snaps, which got posted online in previous year. It is known as snappering. It was e vulnerable to the third-party applications and apps that approve the process in order to ensure social media organizations are similarly vigilant as well as responsive. It is important to consider the procedures that give security to the users (van Mierlo 2014). In addition, social networks generally involved with privacy controversies. Hence, it is important to consider the process that allows the users to access the social networking sites securely. Social networking sites are required to communicate and interact with people globally. Hence, it is important to provide security to the users. There are some social networking sites that are involved with sending privacy issue included content to the users. Phishing is one of the forms of social engineering in which the attackers make an attempt to make the generalized issues. In addition, phishing attacks employ the generalized lures. For an example, a hacker makes misrepresenting as big Banking Corporation that makes online auction (Bowen 2013). On contrary, phishing attacks are despite of understanding the elements of the context in order to become effective, e Phishing attacks are honed through means of making publicly available for personal information from the social networks. In addition, stuxnet is one of the most sophisticated as well as dangerous worms introduced in 2010. There are several social networks that are beneficial for the users to keep in touch with closed ones. Hence, different purposes for securities in the social networking sites are required to put so that the users of social networking sites are safe. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that social, ethical and professional issues act as an important role in social networks. Hence, it is required to reduce potential for social media concerns and prudent for the practitioners for taking a first look in proper security precautions with own personal information as well as identity. There are also needs for general caution that are required at the time of posting anything. It is important to become familiar with privacy settings on controlling social media sites and adjust the limits in undesired access through clients. 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