D333 Ethics in Technology - Set 2 - Part 2

Correct Answer: A novel, non-obvious, and useful invention for a limited period

A patent grants exclusive rights to a novel, non-obvious, and useful invention for a limited term, in exchange for public disclosure of how it works.

Correct Answer: Confidential business information deriving value from not being known

A trade secret is confidential information such as a formula or method that gives competitive advantage precisely because competitors do not know it, protected through reasonable secrecy measures.

Correct Answer: Unauthorized copying, distribution, or use of licensed software

Software piracy is the unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or use of software in violation of its license, infringing the developer's intellectual property rights.

Correct Answer: Viewing, modifying, and redistributing source code under license terms

Open source licenses grant rights to view, modify, and redistribute source code, though specific licenses impose conditions such as attribution or sharing derivative works.

Correct Answer: It violates the creator's terms and the trust the license depends on

Open source licenses grant rights conditionally. Ignoring obligations such as attribution or copyleft breaches the license and undermines the cooperative system that makes open source viable.

Correct Answer: Presenting another's work or code as one's own without attribution

Plagiarism presents someone else's work, including code, designs, or writing, as one's own without proper attribution, breaching academic and professional integrity.

Correct Answer: A situation where personal interests could improperly influence professional judgment

A conflict of interest arises when personal, financial, or other interests could compromise, or appear to compromise, objective professional judgment and duty.

Correct Answer: Disclose it promptly and recuse oneself where appropriate

Proper handling requires prompt disclosure to relevant parties and, where the conflict is material, stepping back from the decision so it can be made objectively.

Correct Answer: Reporting unethical or illegal organizational conduct

Whistleblowing is disclosing wrongdoing within an organization, internally or externally, typically in the public interest. Many jurisdictions protect good-faith whistleblowers from retaliation.

Correct Answer: Raise it through appropriate internal channels first where safe to do so

Ethical practice usually favors raising concerns internally first so the organization can address them, escalating externally when internal channels fail or the risk is severe.

Correct Answer: Report and address them responsibly to protect users

Professionals have a duty of care to users, requiring known vulnerabilities to be reported through responsible channels and remediated rather than concealed or exploited.

Correct Answer: Privately notifying the vendor and allowing time to fix before publishing

Responsible disclosure notifies the vendor privately and allows a reasonable period to develop a fix before public disclosure, balancing user protection with transparency.

Correct Answer: Unequal access to technology and connectivity across populations

The digital divide is the gap between those with meaningful access to technology and the internet and those without, which can compound existing social and economic inequality.

Correct Answer: People with disabilities have an equal right to use digital services

Accessible design ensures people with disabilities can use digital services on an equal basis. It is both an ethical obligation and, increasingly, a legal requirement.

Correct Answer: Interface design that manipulates users into unintended choices

Dark patterns are interface designs that deliberately mislead or pressure users into actions such as unwanted subscriptions or excessive data sharing, undermining genuine consent.

Correct Answer: It can infringe employee privacy and dignity if excessive or covert

Workplace monitoring must be proportionate, transparent, and justified by legitimate need. Excessive or covert surveillance infringes privacy and erodes trust and dignity.

Correct Answer: Monitoring should be no more intrusive than necessary for a legitimate aim

Proportionality requires that any intrusion into privacy be justified by a legitimate purpose and be the least intrusive means capable of achieving that purpose.

Correct Answer: It protects individual privacy while allowing data to be analyzed

Anonymization removes identifying details so data can support analysis with reduced privacy risk, though poorly anonymized datasets can sometimes be reidentified.

Correct Answer: Combining datasets can reveal individuals despite removed identifiers

Cross-referencing anonymized data with other available datasets can single out individuals, so removing direct identifiers alone does not guarantee lasting anonymity.

Correct Answer: Ensuring accountability for the system's decisions and harms

Autonomous systems act with reduced human intervention, so organizations must maintain meaningful oversight and clear accountability for the decisions and harms produced.