Software now runs hospitals, banks, cars and elections, so the people who build it make decisions that affect millions. Learn why computing professionals need a shared set of ethics, what bodies such as the BCS and IEEE do, and how to judge the impact of acting ethically or unethically in a given situation.
Ethics are the moral principles that guide what is right and wrong in how a person behaves. A computing professional needs them because the systems they build affect the public, their employer or client, their colleagues and the profession. Professional bodies such as the BCS (British Computer Society, The Chartered Institute for IT) and the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) publish a code of conduct that members agree to follow. Acting unethically can cause harm, break the law, lose trust and end careers; acting ethically protects users and builds trust.
Fig. 1: the BCS Code of Conduct groups a member's duties into four areas
Section 01
Why computing needs ethics.
The law sets the minimum a person must do. Ethics go further: they guide decisions the law does not cover, or has not caught up with yet. Computing changes so fast that this gap is wide.
Scale: one piece of software can be used by millions of people, so one careless or dishonest decision is copied into every copy.
Safety: software controls safety-critical systems such as medical devices, aircraft and cars; poor testing can cost lives.
Data and privacy: developers can see, collect and combine huge amounts of personal data that users cannot check.
Trust: clients and the public usually cannot judge the quality of code themselves, so they rely on the honesty and competence of the professional.
Purpose of a code of ethics: it sets a common standard of behaviour, gives guidance when there is a conflict (for example between an employer's wishes and public safety), and lets the public trust members of the profession.
Examiner trap
"Ethics means obeying the law" is not enough. Something can be legal and still unethical, such as releasing software you know has not been tested properly. Show that ethics are about moral choices, beyond what the law requires.
Section 02
Joining a professional body.
A professional body is an organisation for people working in a profession. The syllabus names two: the BCS and the IEEE. Know what they do and why a professional should join one.
BCS Code of Conduct duty
What it means in practice
Public interest
Have due regard for public health, safety, privacy and the environment; do not discriminate.
Professional competence and integrity
Only take on work you are competent to do; keep your skills up to date; be honest about your abilities; do not take bribes.
Duty to relevant authority
Act with care and diligence for your employer or client; avoid conflicts of interest; do not disclose confidential information without permission.
Duty to the profession
Uphold the reputation of the profession; support fellow members; do not bring the profession into disrepute.
IEEE: a worldwide body for engineers. Its Code of Ethics asks members to put the safety, health and welfare of the public first, to be honest and realistic in claims, and to treat everyone fairly. With the ACM, its Computer Society also wrote the Software Engineering Code of Ethics, with eight principles: public, client and employer, product, judgement, management, profession, colleagues and self.
Why join: a code of conduct to guide decisions; recognised status and qualifications (the BCS awards Chartered IT Professional, CITP), which employers and clients trust; continuing professional development (CPD) to keep skills current; networking and access to expertise; a body that can discipline members who act unethically, which protects the public.
Your turn
Give two benefits to a software developer of joining a professional body such as the BCS.
Any two: a code of conduct to follow when facing an ethical problem; a recognised professional status or qualification that clients trust; training and CPD to keep up to date; networking with other professionals; support and advice.
Stage 1 · Learn
Check what the sim just showed you
Four quick checks. Each correct answer earns XP and records this skill on your profile.
Quick check+10 XP
What are ethics?
Quick check+10 XP
Which of these is a professional body for people in computing?
Quick check+10 XP
Under the BCS Code of Conduct, which duty should normally come first if duties conflict?
Quick check+10 XP
What is continuing professional development (CPD)?
Section 03
Acting ethically, or not.
Exam questions give a situation and ask you to explain the impact of acting ethically or unethically. Name who is affected, say which duty applies, and describe the consequences of each choice.
Worked example Release date pressure
A manager tells a programmer to release a car's braking control update before testing is finished, so that a deadline is met. Explain the impact of acting ethically and unethically.
Who is affected: drivers, passengers and other road users (the public), the employer and the programmer.
Duty: the public interest (safety) comes before the duty to the employer.
Ethical action: refuse to sign off the release, explain the risk honestly, and finish the testing. Impact: the release is late and the manager may be unhappy, but nobody is put at risk and the company's reputation is protected.
Unethical action: release untested code. Impact: a fault could cause accidents and deaths; the company faces recalls, lawsuits and loss of trust; the programmer could be dismissed or expelled from their professional body.
Answer: Acting ethically delays the product but protects lives and trust; acting unethically risks harm to the public and serious legal and reputational damage.
Worked example Too much data
A developer building a free torch app is asked to make it secretly collect users' contacts and location to sell to advertisers. Identify the ethical issues.
The data is not needed for the app to work, and users have not given informed consent.
It breaks users' privacy (public interest) and is likely to break data protection law.
It is dishonest: the app does something it does not tell the user about.
The ethical choice is to collect only the data the app needs and to be open about it.
Answer: Privacy, consent and honesty; the developer should refuse or raise the concern.
Examiner trap
In a "discuss the impact" question, one side is not enough. Marks go for the consequences of the ethical choice and of the unethical choice, for named stakeholders.
Stage 2 · Exam
Exam-style questions
Unlocks once the four checks above are done. Worth more XP, written to AS Paper 1 and Paper 2 standard.
Finish the four checks above to unlock the exam questions
Exam style+20 XP
A contractor accepts a job writing database security software although they have never worked with databases. Which part of a code of conduct have they broken?
Exam style+20 XP
Why is a code of conduct useful to a computing professional?
Exam style+20 XP
An employee is told to delete data that the company is legally required to keep for an investigation. What is the most ethical response?
Exam style+20 XP
Which is a likely consequence for a member of a professional body who acts unethically?
Skill unlocked
Professional ethics, mastered.
This skill is now recorded on your profile. Keep the chain going.