Ethics, information systems, and the information highway

The power represented by information and its access using the information highway (IH) has spawned serious discussions about the It-rs effects on the social and ethical relationships within society. There are some who feel that the implementation of the IH will provide benefits to humanity and some who feel that it will produce disadvantages. Although people disagree on the nature of the effects, both groups generally agree on two points. The IH will be part of the telecommunications future of the nation, and it will produce fundamental shifts in American lifestyles. Whatever our personal feelings on the subject, we in the information systems profession must accept the fact that ethical considerations are important in the development of the information highway. It is no longer acceptable to say that ethics as they related to information systems are someone else's obligation. All people who interact with others using computers must accept responsibility for acting ethically.