Ethical Guidelines and Professional Conduct in Technology

• ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
• • Because of its comprehensive nature and its development by the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society, the ACM Code serves as a foundational ethical guideline for computing professionals across a wide range of disciplines.
  • ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
• IEEE Code of Ethics
  • Given IEEE’s significance in the engineering aspect of technology, its Code of Ethics is critical for professionals engaged in electrical, electronics, communications, computer engineering, and related disciplines.
  • IEEE Code of Ethics
• The Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice
  • Specifically tailored for software engineers, this code, jointly developed by the ACM and IEEE Computer Society, is crucial for professionals in software development and engineering.
  • Software Engineering Code of Ethics
• The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
  • As a legal framework that has set a global standard for data privacy and protection, GDPR is essential for professionals who manage or process data, especially those dealing with users from the European Union.
  • GDPR Information Portal
• United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection (Expanded in 2016)
  • These guidelines address broader consumer protection issues, including privacy, security, and transparency in digital products and services, making them important for businesses and developers creating consumer-facing technologies.
  • United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection
• Ethical OS Toolkit
  • This toolkit helps tech companies foresee and mitigate the ethical risks of the technologies they develop. It’s particularly relevant for product managers, designers, and decision-makers in tech companies.
  • Ethical OS Toolkit
• The Toronto Declaration
  • Focused on protecting equality and non-discrimination in machine learning systems, this declaration is crucial for AI and machine learning professionals concerned with ethical AI development.
  • The Toronto Declaration
• The Hippocratic Oath for Technologists:
  • An initiative that seeks to inspire technologists to prioritize ethical considerations in their work, drawing parallels to the medical profession’s Hippocratic Oath.
  • This is not an official document from a single organization but an idea promoted by various thought leaders in technology ethics.

Each of these guidelines and regulations addresses different yet overlapping areas of ethical concern in technology. The order might vary depending on the specific focus of your curriculum or the particular ethical dimensions you wish to emphasize. This sequence is aimed at providing a broad overview that starts with general computing ethics and moves towards more specific areas and applications within technology.