Technology Temptations

Along with many benefits, technology also presents us with new temptations. Technology allows us to access information for many legitimate reasons, but it can also create ethical dilemmas. What do you think about the situations presented below?

Situation 1: Melissa collects overdue accounts for a large credit card company. She has access to records of all transactions for any customer. Melissa sometimes looks up the records of famous people. She checks to see where they use their credit cards and how much money they spend. She sometimes tells her friends about the buying habits of entertainers and politicians.

Situation 2: Chris works for a not-for-profit organization. Recently, he found a list of computer passwords near a photocopier. He started using these passwords to look at other employees’ email files.

Situation 3: Alex is in college and works as a sales clerk in a bookstore. Occasionally, the scanner in the store is unable to read a bar code on a customer’s selection, and the clerk must enter the code using the keypad. Alex sometimes makes mistakes when she enters the code. As long as the customer does not object, Alex thinks it’s unnecessary to correct her mistakes.

Use the three-step checklist to determine whether or not the actions above demonstrated ethical behavior.

Is this action illegal? Explain your reasoning.

Does the action violate company or professional standards?

Who is affected, and how, by the action? (Positive & Negative Affects)