Why this matters
Anything you post can spread in seconds and may never fully disappear. Information ethics is how you act well online even when no law is stopping you. It protects other people, and it protects you.
The idea
Information ethics are the attitudes you bring to the information society, with or without a law. Two things make the internet risky: information spreads easily, and once shared it tends not to disappear.
When you share, do not infringe others' rights:
- Don't post images or videos others hold the copyright to, without permission.
- Don't leak someone else's personal information.
- Don't invade others' privacy.
- Don't slander, defame, or bully people online.
Watch out for geotags. A photo can quietly carry the location it was taken, which could reveal your home. And be alert to problems like internet addiction, cybercrime, identity theft, and the spread of disinformation and rumors.
Picture it
flowchart TD
A[About to share something online] --> B{Does it harm someone?}
B -- Copyright / privacy / personal info --> C[Stop: get permission or do not post]
B -- Defamation / rumor / bullying --> C
B -- None of these --> D{Did I check it is true and fair?}
D -- No --> E[Verify first]
D -- Yes --> F[Share considerately]Worked example
A classmate asks you to repost a funny photo of another student taken without their knowledge. Walk the decision tree: it risks the other student's privacy and image, so you stop and don't repost. Even anonymously, posting hurtful or false content is wrong (and traceable). The ethical move is to remember there is a real person on the other side of the screen.
Your turn
Try the practice questions. Decide which online behaviours follow good information ethics, and spot the risk a geotag can create.
Recap
- Information ethics guide good behaviour online, law or no law.
- Online information spreads and doesn't disappear, so think before you post.
- Protect copyright, privacy, and personal information; beware geotags and cybercrime.