CSCI 415 University of North Texas Ethics Discussion

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1. Using argument components discussed in Chapter 3, assess arguments for and against the use of biometric technologies for security, especially in airports and large stadiums. (a) Should biometric technologies such as face-recognition programs and iris scanners be used in public places to catch criminals? Since 9/11 there is much more support for these technologies than there was when biometrics were used at Super Bowl XXXV in January 2001. (b) Granted that such technologies can help the government to catch criminals and suspected terrorists, what kinds of issues do they raise from a civil liberties perspective? (c) Compare the arguments for and against the use of biometric technologies in tracking down criminals to arguments discussed in Chapter 5. (d) Do you support the use of biometrics in large, public gathering places in the United States? Defend your answer. Please elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your “theoretical” rationale in support of your responses. (comprehension)
2. In looking at the case of Internet entrapment involving a pedophile that was discussed in this chapter (a) which arguments can be made in favor of entrapment or “sting operations” on the internet? (b) From a utilitarian perspective, entrapment might seem like a good thing because it may achieve desirable consequences, but can it be defended on constitutional grounds in the United States? (c) Justify your position by appealing to one or more of the ethical theories described back in Chapter 2. Please elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your “theoretical” rationale in support of your responses. (comprehension)

1. (a) Are the distinctions that were drawn between cyberspecific and cyberrelated crimes useful? (b) Why would cyberstalking be classified as a cyberrelated crime, according to this distinction? (c) Among cyberrelated crimes, is it useful to distinguish further between cyberexacerbated and cyberassisted crimes? (d) Why would cyberstalking be categorized as a “cyberexacerbated” rather than a cyberassisted crime? (e) Why not simply call every crime in which cybertechnology is either used or present a cybercrime? (f) Would doing so pose any problems for drafting coherent cybercrime legislation? Please elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your “theoretical” rationale in support of your responses. (comprehension)

1. (a) What implications does the conviction of the four cofounders of The Pirate Bay Web site (in 2009) have for international attempts to prosecute intellectual property crimes globally? (b) Should the four men also have been required to stand trial in all of the countries in which copyrighted material had been downloaded from their Web site? (c) Will the outcome of The Pirate Bay trail likely deter individuals and organizations, worldwide, from setting up future P2P sites that allow the illicit file sharing of copyrighted material? Please elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your “theoretical” rationale in support of your responses. (comprehension)