The right to see

30 Nov 2017

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Engineering ethics is the set of rules and guidelines that engineers must follow as a moral obligation to their job and the public. This means that we must take into account these rules while still fulfilling our duty at our profession. These rules have been tested throughout the years and they are there for a reason. When ethics are not followed, we risk the public’s safety and the company’s integrity. As software engineers, we know the power of technology and sometimes there are conflicts with what we think is morally correct and the ethics we must abide to. One ongoing problem with the advancement of technology is privacy and the issue whether information on individuals stored in a computer constitutes an invasion of privacy.

With the growth of technology, virtually anything can be encoded in code. This being said, where do we draw the line on whether the information stored is an invasion of privacy. One ethical dilemma is computers storing data about their users and who owns that data once its in the computer. One example of this is Google’s street view. This piece of technology displays searchable street view and aerial photographs of neighborhoods, stores, city blocks and even residential homes. Through a software engineer’s eyes, this is an amazing piece of technology that could have a million applications. On the other hand, residents see this as an invasion of privacy and a potential risk to public safety. As software engineers we are ethically required to help in the advancement and research of technology, but morally, we know that these technologies have the to potential to breach the public’s privacy.

I feel that google street view is a viable tool, but there should be strict guidelines on what’s viewable to the public, especially in residential neighborhoods. There should be an easy way to remove images of residential homes and buildings by the owners. Software engineers must find the balance and compromise while creating these types of technology. We must fulfill our obligation to our profession, while maintaining our moral judgment, knowing that there will always be positive and negative impacts on society.