Nowadays, we can here various news regarding the use and misuse of information and communication technology. Technology has created a lot of ethical issue regarding workplace safety, child labor, labor practices and laws. Revolution of technology and use of internet and personal technological instrument contribute a problem regarding loss of private and confidential information. In the recent condition world coronavirus epidemic has a fresh question regarding the ethical issue create by information and communication technology to the table, as people pose difficulty relation to the government in their everyday lives. I have mentioned some recent issues related to the use of ITC that has been reported in the press during this pandemic period and are worth considered. Although there are multiple advantages of using ITC, the impact of ICT on this pandemic period has threatened the people life through social media providing fake news. It has also found that people are doing commonwealth offence, including multiple identities taking the advantage of Covid-19 help release funds provided by the Government.
During the pandemic period, some of social media are knowing and unknowing playing fake news and misleading information. As we know that social sites have great role in individual, social life and in politics. Fake news and misleading information spread by various social media made a great confusion to the people. It has been found that the misleading information has increased in some cases, which is pushed through different social sites, television network and government officials. One of the Fake news and misinformation is spread by the Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who shared the information through social sites, television network that the people of age under 25 will not be affected by corona virus ('Gen Z: Government Ethics During This Time of Pandemic', 2020). This misinformation through the social sites puts the lives of the audience at risk. It is just one example, there are number of fake news that have spread by bad actors through social sites in last couple of months. Misleading information like fake symptoms news, fake cases and deaths and unfolded solution has create the great ethical issues through the various social cites like Facebook, twitter, news channels. Another ethical issue had found that during this pandemic period is that some people are doing commonwealth offence related activities by allegedly making multiple claims for the Australian Government Disaster recovery payment in relation to the summer’s bushfires. It has been found that the one of the men form Western Sydney has arrested over a Covid-19 welfare fraud. A Sydney man has found that he has made an identity up to 11 people, as well as 53 faked identities since January and claim more than $70,000 from the government (Daoud, 2020). Government has made an easy access that people can claim through online to release super and gets support of fortnightly payment up to $1500 by the my gov account. Due to the fake identities, the real victims who are suffering during this pandemic period are unable of releasing their superfunds.
Technology has a great role during this fast-moving virus that spread from person to person. Various technical device assists with carrying attention to the current pandemic and permits individuals to convey for all intents and purposes, paying little heed to area, making it basic for organizations that need to stay open during a pandemic. The use of Internet communication service helps to organization to implement and promote the flexibility of communication by maintaining social distance which is mandated by the government levels. Almost every schools, university are moving towards remote structure, right technology and various social sites set up considers organization and schools to remains active. Audiovisual software and application make all the difference in this difficulty situation. It is permitting representatives to telecommute, moving school classes on the web, or basically getting data, innovation is a distinct advantage during any emergency. It is significant for all work environments to keep awake to-date with the most recent guidelines and be set up for remote work, video conferencing for online gatherings, and online talk abilities (Rogina, 2020). Different social sites are broadcasting live about coronavirus pandemic. People can use the social cites and share their ideas, views, feeling, thoughts, and helps to stay unites during this difficulty’s times. As an example, YouTube is making its homepage which access directly to the world health organization and other various groups, for education and information, while working to remove suggestion of videos as they go live (Turrillo, 2020).
False Information, including intentional disinformation spread all over the social cites by celebrities, head of the state in the country, commercial scammers had made the life of individual at risk. Not at all like real news which disperses data and maintains truth, counterfeit news tends to create turmoil. In a less difficult tone it must be trifling, yet if it is left uncontrolled it could cause mass frenzy. Counterfeit news can adjust your trust in realities. Perusing something persuading however basically false can cause you to accept that earthy colored bovines really produce chocolate milk. In a bigger scope, counterfeit news can guarantee a genuine danger. It could lead most of the populace to trust it. It could then be hard for an administration to contain such frenzy if that occurs. A few people will go to the parts of the bargains to demonstrate their solid conviction on something they read on fake news and possibly hurt himself or others. Incalculable paranoid notions and fake news become wild when things get violent and risky. It has also been found that some scammers are using multiple faked identities and making claims of covid-19 release help fund supported by the government. Because of this fraud identities the government is holding the actual victim application on hold. Misusing of public profile in social sites people are making multiple identities due to which individual who are real victim of tis pandemic virus are unable to get support fund from government.
Counter false news about the virus has been difficult because reporting that is right must be extensively checked. Information thar are incorrect may create a serious threat to everyone. When the news came from government agency, it needs to be examined even more closely. For information, always refer to reliable source such as WHO and your local or national government bodies and department for disease control. When any restriction and release are placed, listen them and obey them through (Wahab, 2020).
As we know from the ethical theory Utilitarianism, it implements fair choice to make sure that the minimum harm is done to all the individuals involved. In this utilitarianism theory, it approaches requires the decision of our self about what course of action is required and calculate the outcome of action (Hamilton, 2019). In some cases, fake news regarding the death rate, makes people fear of the disease will helps to control the rate of death. Likewise, from Deontological point of view, if we found any miss use of any internet communication services, we need to report it and that fake sites need to be banned so that there will not be any misleading or faked information spread on market as everyone has their right to know the current situation of the problems. People are having very difficulties time during this period, more then fifty percentage of the people are jobless. Some people are misusing the social sites, making fake identities for surviving during this difficulties times which support the deontology because of the moral right of the people for living.
The best way to figure out fake news is using our common sense. No matter What the government says, if a report is purportedly based on the current situation, always figure out the original source of information related to that news. If the false story is not related to an original source of information, always use a search engine to find out the additional information related to the news and check it if that news is reported by any other outlets (Wilson, 2017). We need to understand that the news share on Facebook, Twitter may not be a real news even though it has several fans. Often, Youtuber is not eligible to give professional advice either. Every individual need to aware that before we share any story on social cites, need to think about the headline, find out if it tells everything that we need to know, do some research and only post it if you are fully sure.
References
Rogina, K. (2020). Key Ways Organizations Can Use Technology to Operate During a Pandemic. Retrieved from https://blog.spinitar.com/3-key-ways-organizations-can-use-technology-to-operate-during-a-pandemic
Gen Z: Government Ethics During This Time of Pandemic. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.scu.edu/ethics-spotlight/covid-19-ethics-health-and-moving-forward/top-issues-related-to-government-ethics-during-this-time-of-pandemic/
Daoud, A. (2020). Sydney man becomes first person arrested over COVID welfare fraud. Retrieved from https://7news.com.au/travel/coronavirus/coronavirus-australia-western-sydney-man-becomes-first-person-to-be-charged-over-covid-19-welfare-fraud-c-1034718
Turrillo, H. (2020). Technology And Innovation To Help Stop The Coronavirus Pandemic - IntelligentHQ. Retrieved from https://www.intelligenthq.com/technology-innovation-help-stop-coronavirus-pandemic/
Wahab, F. (2020). Coronavirus: How Fake News Affects the COVID-19 Spread. Retrieved from https://www.addictivetips.com/news/coronavirus-fake-news-affects-covid-19-spread/
Wilson, A. (2017). Six tips for how to spot (and stop) fake news - ICIJ. Retrieved from https://www.icij.org/blog/2017/10/six-tips-spot-stop-fake-news/
Hamilton, V. (2019, January 10). Types of ethical theories. Retrieved from https://www.theclassroom.com/types-of -ethical-theories-12082413.html