Ethical and Social Dimensions of

Science and Technology

Article 3 – Right to life, liberty, and
Human’s Right to Science and personal security
technology Article 4 – Freedom from slavery or
servitude
Article 5 – Freedom from torture and
Universal Declaration of Human
degrading treatment
Rights (UDHR)
- An important document in the
Science and technology are vital
history of human rights. It was
parts of human life.
adopted and proclaimed by the
United Nations General
Article 27 of the UDHR states that
Assembly in Paris on 10
“everyone has the right to participate
December 1948.
in the cultural life of the community
- Motivated by the events during
and to share in scientific
the World War II. The UDHR lays
advancement and its benefits.”
out the fundamental human
rights.
The right to science and culture, which
- Universal Declaration contains a
is one of the core economic, social, and
preamble and 30 articles. The
cultural rights. It is also recognized in
preamble states that the
Article 15 of the International Covenant
“recognition of the inherent
on Economic, Social, and Cultural
dignity and of the equal and
Rights (ICESCR) Covenant, a treaty
inalienable rights of all
adopted by the UN General Assembly
members of the human family
on 16 December 1966. The scientists as
is the foundation of freedom,
well as the policy-makers.
justice, and peace in the
world” (UN General
Assembly,1948). Ethical DimensionofScience and
Technology
The first five articles outline the basic
individual rights: In 1945, towards the end of World War
Article 1– Right to equality II, the members of the Nazi party of
Article 2 – Freedom from discrimination Germany were tried for war crimes. The

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Ethical and Social Dimensions of
Science and Technology
trials became the Nuremberg trial; one - Making a rational choice from
such trial prosecuted physicians the available options, backed
involved in unethical human with the strongest set of moral
experimentation. No human subject reasons or principles.
should be forced to participate in - Identifying possible options or
experiments that will yield harm course of action
or injury. - Moral principles provide
distinctive guidance in making
Nuremberg Code is a landmark ethical decision. In medical
document in clinical research ethics. ethics, the standard approach
One such example is the Declaration of involves four principles:
Helsinki which was first published by autonomy, non-maleficence,
the World Medical Association(WMA) in beneficence, and justice.
1975.
- Other principles include
Clinical research ethics is just one of equality, duty, obligation,
the applications of an applied ethic, responsibility, and various kinds
branch of ethics, or moral philosophy. of rights. Self-interest,
- Applied ethics examines specific efficiency, and economy.
issues such as abortion, animal - Ethical matrix Developed by Ben
rights, and environmental Mepham in the 1990s.
concerns, among others. - Aims to assist non-philosophers
in appreciating the value of
In order to make ethical decisions, ethical insights to arrive at
scientists follow a framework. A ethical judgments. The Ethical
technique that attempts to consider the matrix has been further
issues, options, and arguments. developed and is now being
Essential elements in making a decision used in evaluating other
are as follows (Harris,2006). technologies.
- Identifyingstakeholders - Well-being refers to the
- Review arguments for each maximization of good,
option. autonomy refers to freedom,

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Ethical and Social Dimensions of
Science and Technology
and fairness refers to respect for - Code Of ethics, they are
justice and the law authoritative reminders of the
rules and duties that scientists
EXAMPLE OF ETHICAL MATRIX and engineers must abide by.
(Evaluation of ethical use of growth Other professions have their
hormones in cattle) respective codes of ethics: for
example,
- The Hippocratic Oath is an old
code used by medical
practitioners.
- National Academy of Science
and Technology (NAST)
published the Ethical Principles
and Guidelines for Filipino
Scientists in 2009.
- The NAST ethical code aims to
guide Filipino scientists to
achieve a high level of
Code of Ethics of Scientists And professional and ethical
Engineers behavior.
Codes of ethics Purposes
- Establish standards of conduct Code are summarized below
in cases not dictated by (NAST,2009)
common sense Preamble: Scientific research as a
- Formulate rules to govern a public trust – Since the general public
practice or discipline does not have the means of verifying
- Provide a framework for the results of the work of scientists, the
resolving conflicts burden of making sure that their work is
- Manage the expectation of the correct lies on the scientists
public in a themselves.

3
Ethical and Social Dimensions of
Science and Technology
GENERAL PRINCIPLES Social Dimension of Science and
- Ethical scientific practices Technology: the DeviceParadigm
- Ethical use of science in
Philippine Society
Technology
- Conflict of interest
- The techniques and processes
- Weighing The benefits
used to achieve a certain
- Commitment to professional
purpose: it can also refer to the
- development as scientists
knowledge of such techniques
- Development of students and
and processes. Being
- other stakeholders
considered as object,
- Advocacy For scientific
knowledge, and activity
approaches
- In 1984, Albert Borgmann
- Intellectual honesty
offered a new way of thinking
about technology
Another example of a code of ethics
- NSPE Code of Ethics for
Three essential types of approaches
Engineers by the National
to technology
Society of
ProfessionalEngineers(NSPE) of
Substantive view
the United States of America.
- considers technology as a force
- Code of Ethics for the Chemistry
of its own, capable of shaping
Practitioners of the Philippines,
society without the intervention
it is stated that chemistry
of other forces
professionals have an obligation
Instrumentalist view
to the society(Professional
- consider technology as a mere
Regulatory Board of Chemistry,
instrument to achieve social
2016)
values that are independent of
technology themselves
Pluralist view
- considers the dynamic
interaction between technology

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Ethical and Social Dimensions of
Science and Technology
and social values as a complex television can also help us connect to
web our culture and be aware of the events
and issues in our society (kubey &
According to Borgmann Csikszent mihalyi, 1990)
- The promise of technology is to - All in all, technology can help us
“bring the forces of nature and achieve a good life. However, if
culture under control, to liberate we simply consume technology
us from misery and toil, and to as mere devices, we may not be
enrich our lives” (Borgmann, able to fully realize our goal of
1984). freedom and happiness(Strong,
2014)
Device paradigm things are
distinguished from devices. Robotics: an Example of
- Technology Is Inseparable from Contemporary Issue inScience
its social context, it's a thing. andTechnology
When people interact with
In Ray Kurzweil’s work The Singularity
things, in addition to the
Is Near: When Humans Transcend
purpose of the given
Human Biology, Kurzweil identifies
technology, there is personal
technologies capable of driving the
and social engagement
society to a singularity – the point
wherein the intelligence of machines
According to Borgmann, devices
converge with that of humans
become readily available because they
(Kurzweil,2005).
operate in an instantaneous,
ubiquitous, safe, and easy way
There are three such technologies:
(Borgmann, 1984)
- Genetics
- Deviceparadigm also applies to
- Nanotechnology
modern technology
- Robotics or GNR

A television can serve to gather family

BACKGROUND ON ROBOTICS
and friends together, encouraging
Robotics
healthy social interactions. The

5
Ethical and Social Dimensions of
Science and Technology
- refers to the use and George Devol in 1954(Moravec,
development of robots – 2019). The Ultimate was
programmable machines that developed further by Unimation,
are capable of motion and Inc. founded in 1956 by Joseph
interaction with their Engelberger, who will, later on,
surroundings (Sparrow, 2005) be called the “father of
robotics” (Bauer, 2018).
Artificial intelligence (AI)
- a field of study that seeks to ROBOETHICS AND ETHICAL ISSUES
develop intelligent IN ADVANCED ROBOTICS
computational systems(Sulins, Existence of such robots and their
2005) imminent integration to the society
gave rise to a new field of ethics called
UNIMATE ROBOTS roboethics (Operto, 2014). The term
Karel Capek’s play Rossum’s Universal roboethics was coined by the robot
Robots depicted the creation of scientist Gianmarco Veruggio.
machines that serve as humanoid
slaves. Czech word robota which Three Laws of Robotics (Isaac Asimov,
means forced labor. (Tucker, 2014) 1950)
- The International Federation of 1. A robot may not injure a human
Robotics classifies robots as being or, through inaction, allow
either service robots or a human being to come to harm.
industrial robots(International 2. A robot must obey orders given
Federation of Robotics,2019) it by human beings except
- Service robots find domestic where such orders would
and field applications as conflict with the First Law
opposed to industrial robots 3. A robot must protect its own
that are strictly used in existence as long as such
industrial settings. protection does not conflict with
- The first programmable robot the First or Second Law.
to be employed in a factory
was the Unimate, developed by

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Ethical and Social Dimensions of
Science and Technology
ASIMO (Advanced step in Innovative
Asimov would later add the Zeroth Law Mobility) by Honda – bipedal robot that
of Robotics which states that a robot is being developed to be capable of
should not bring harm to humanity, integrating to domestic environments
through action or inaction (Asimov, such as in home and offices(Honda
1985). MotorsCo., 2019)
Roboethics also aims to develop
scientific, cultural, and technical Sophia by Hanson Robotics– a
tools that will encourage the human-like robot that is being
beneficial use of robotics for the developed as an AI-equipped service
society and prevent its misuse and entertainment robot(Hanson
against humanity (Veruggio & Operto, Robotics, 2019)
2009) - Sophia is particularly
controversial. During the 2017
Gaps in ethical issues in robotics mostly Future Investment Summit in
exist in instances where robots interact Saudi Arabia, Sophia was
with human lives. granted a Saudi Arabian
Citizenship, the first robot to be
Telesurgery - Wherein in the surgeon given such (Maza, 2017).
and the patient are separated by long
distances
Robotic liability matrix assigns
weights to the liabilities that are to be
shouldered by the involved parties.
Since liability is shared, no single party
is indicted, leading to a fairer judgment
of the case.
Another robot ethical issue is social
robots – robots capable of interacting
with humans in a human-like fashion
(Tucker, 2014). Example:

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Philosophical Aspects of Science
and Technology
Humanism: affirms one’s ability and
Schools of Thoughts of the responsibility to lead an ethical life
through personal fulfillment that aspires
Hellenistic Age (323-30BCE)
to humanity’s greater good; sees
themselves not only as stewards of
Cynicism: denial of established norms, creation but also as individuals who
follow one’s natural inclinations; people have control over themselves as well as
must reject all conventional needs the world outside them.
such as power, sex, and wealth to be
attuned with nature. Philosophy of Science

Scepticism: people should doubt their From Empiricism (experience-based

senses; no one can be certain about the thinking) to Logicism
knowledge that we have. - Ibn Sina or Avicenna (980-1037)
- Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
Epicureanism/Hedonism: Pleasure - Russel Bertrand (1872-1970)
and Pain are the two only important
aspects of living; happiness is HOW SCIENCE IS DONE?
achieved through pleasure. Types of Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
Stoicism: Virtue is the highest good - Start with theory
based on Perfect Rationality; we best - Confirm a hypothesis
achieve happiness when we resign - Tend to do quantitative research
ourselves to Fate. Inductive Reasoning
- Start with data
Theism: there is/are god/s or - Infer conclusion from data
supernatural being/s who are
- Tend to do qualitative research
omniscient, omnipotent, and
Abductive Reasoning
omnipresent; communion with it/them
is believed to be the key to achieving
the meaning of one’s life. Fields of Modern Science
- Natural Sciences
- Social Sciences

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Philosophical Aspects of Science
and Technology
- Formal Sciences The Concept of Good Life and
Happiness
BRANCHES OF SCIENCE
Greek concept: Eudaimonia which
literally means “good-spirited”. It can
also mean “human flourishing” or
“prosperity”

Eudaimonia is central to the philosophy

of Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics –
eudaimonia is the end goal of human
action and the highest human good; the
“human good turns out to be an
[rational] activity of the soul in
Validity of Scientific Reasoning
accordance with virtue”

The Vienna Circle (1907) and Berlin Eudaimonia is analogous to the top
Circle (1920): two groups of empiricists most position in Maslow’s Hierarchy of
who maintained the Verifiability Needs: Self-actualization is the
Principle or Verificationism highest personal need (top of the
pyramid diagram)
Verificationism: if a principle cannot be
supported by empirical evidence, then
True Meaning of Technology
it is regarded as meaningless

Alternatively, Karl Popper proposed What comes first in mind?

the Falsification Principle: as long as - Application of Science on our
the experiment is not false, it is everyday problems
accepted as the prevailing explanation - Something that is a machine or
to the relevant phenomena. a process

2
Philosophical Aspects of Science
and Technology
- It comes from the Greek word
techne (refers to manufacturing SUMMARY
and arts) - Science naturally came from
- Techne is a part of poiesis Philosophy and it uses many
(“bringing forth”) – something paradigms to search for truths
that brings concealment into about nature
reveal - We live our lives on the prospect
- Poiesis is related to aletheia of Good life and Happiness
(“truth”) - Technology is not only a mere
- From this, we can say that device, but also a way to reveal
technology is a way that hidden truths
reveals the truth and - Science/Technology have its
contributes to good. limitations. It only looks for
objective truths
Role of Technology in Our Lives - Science/Technology is amoral.
- What could go wrong? It is in our hands to use it for
Technology is amoral: it does better or worse.
not tell us what is morally right
or wrong.

Martin Heidegger’s points on his

analysis of technology:
1. Technology is not an instrument; it
is a way of revealing the truth about the
world
2. Technology is not controlled by
humans; it is Technology that controls
human activities
3. Technology is dangerous in a sense
that it frames our thinking about the
world.

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Issues in S&T: Information Age
Entertainment
WHAT IS INFORMATION AGE? - We can enjoy all sorts of
activities or forms of
"a time period in which people could
entertainment like movies,
access information and knowledge
music, online games, etc.
easily”
anytime anywhere!
Business
The main feature includes everything
- We can transact in banks, shop,
concerning the electronic storage and
sell or do any business
transmission of information.
transaction anytime in the
comfort of our homes.
Are we living in this time period?
Better living
- The digital technology in the
WHO FIRST CONCEIVED THE information age is continuously
THEORY OF INFORMATION AGE? improving and empowering
many of the dimensions of our
James R. Messenger in 1982 lives.
- an American Telephone and
Telegraph employee HOW DID INFORMATION AGE
- published a book entitled “The START?
Death of the American
Telephone & Telegraph
In the course of history, there have
Company
been periods of sharp acceleration or
revolutions in the amount of
HOW HAS THE INFORMATION AGE
information that people had access to.
AFFECTED THE SOCIETY?
Communication
We call them information revolutions.
- Using online resources, we can
- First information revolution -
reach anyone anytime anywhere
Print-based era
in the world!
- Second- Pre-digital era
Information transfer
- Third - Digital era
- With the right online tools we
can have access to any
FIRST INFORMATION REVOLUTION
information/knowledge needed!

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Issues in S&T: Information Age
Print-based Era - is credited with providing the
- marked by the development of basis of radio as we know it
the printing press invented by today.
Johannes Gutenberg around - In 1894, Marconi sent the
1436. world's first radio signal.
Printing Press
- accelerated the rediscovery & First Telephone
sharing of knowledge - 1876, AlexanderGraham Bell
- an invention that forever - built upon the success and
changed the world technology of the telegraph
- first to enable transmission of
SECOND INFORMATION REVOLUTION more than one message along
Pre-digital Era the same wire at one time.
- began in the mid-nineteenth
century through the DIGITAL AGE
introduction of: telegraph, radio, - If you watch English TV you will
telephone, computer. notice that Americans generally
say “Cell” while the British
First Telegraph generally say “Mobile”. The rest
- 1845 of the world say “cellphone”.
- Samuel Morse - A mobile phone is a portable
- sent by tapping out the code for telephone that can make and
each letter in the form of long receive calls over a radio
(dashes) and short signals frequency link while the user is
(dots) moving within a telephone
- converted into electrical service area.
impulses and sent over
telegraph wires First Commercial Mobile Phone
Motorola DynaTAC 8000X
First Radio - first phone call made in April 3,
- Wireless Telegraph" 1973 Martin Cooper, a senior
- Guglielmo Marconi engineer at Motorola
- first released in 1983
- sold at 4000 USD

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Issues in S&T: Information Age
- first smartphone prototype: - Babbage is considered by some
Angler developed by Frank to be the father of the
Canova in 1992 at IBM refined computer.
version marketed in 1994 by
BellSouth under the name First Computers
Simon Personal Communicator Z1
- Invented by Konrad Zuse in
WHAT IS COMPUTER? 1936
- The word ”computer"was first - first functional computer
used in 1613 in the book The Z4
Young Man’s Gleanings by - Invented by Konrad Zuse in
Richard Braithwaite and 1942
originally described a human - credited to be the inventor of
who performed calculations or the modern computer
computations. - first commercial digital
- This definition remained the computer
same until the end of the 19th ENIAC (Electronic Numerical
century, when the industrial Integrator & Computer)
revolution gave rise to machines - Invented by John Mauchly and
whose primary purpose was J. Presper Eckert in 1946
calculating. - first fully functional digital
computer
WHEN WAS THE FIRST COMPUTER - occupied more than 1,000 ft²
INVENTED? - weighed 30 tons
- There is no easy answer to this - used about 18,000 vacuum
question due to the many tubes
different classifications of UNIVAC (Universal Automatic
computers. Computer)
- Some historians agree that it - Invented by John Mauchly and
was in 1822, when Charles J. Presper Eckert in 1951
Babbage invented the first - first computer
mechanical computer that - with a program stored in
eventually led to more complex memory
electronic designs. - could perform 1 K calc/sec

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Issues in S&T: Information Age
- weighed 16,000 lbs - With floppy drive & first widely
- used 5,000 vacuum tubes accepted portable keyboard
Olivetti Programma 101
- Invented by Pier Giorgio Perotto SECOND INFORMATION REVOLUTION
in 1964 Digital Era
- No screen or mouse - Started when internet and world
- used a small paper tape printer web wide were introduced
as a Visualization device - As computers and phones
- a computer much smaller than continued to sophisticate,the
those used at the time, and next challenge to man was the
compact enough to be “a flow of information.
personal object of someone - known as the age of the internet
sitting on his chair at a desktop.
Altair 8800 Internet
- Invented by Edward Roberts in The Internet was first developed by the
1975 US Department of Defense in 1969
- first personal computer known as ARPANET (Advanced
- No screen or mouse Research Projects Agency Network),
- instructions were relayed to it the network that ultimately evolved into
by punched tape transcripts what we now know as the internet.
- revolutionized the computing
world by allowing common World Wide Web
people to have their own first launched in August 23, 1991
personal computer started in 1990 when Tim Berners-Lee
Osborne 1 (scientist at the European Organization
- Invented by Adam Osborne in for Nuclear Research) developed the
1981 HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
- first widely accepted portable
keyboard computer that HOW DOES THE INTERNET DIFFER
included a monitor, disk drives FROM WORLD WIDE WEB
and other components. The internet is a global network of
- 5” display networks while the Web is a collection
- with 64KB memory of information which is accessed via the
internet. To illustrate, the internet is an

4
Issues in S&T: Information Age
infrastructure while the Web is a service - “Computer Vision Syndrome”,
on top of that infrastructure. The also referred to as Digital Eye
internet can also be viewed as a big Strain, describes a group of eye
bookstore while the Web is the and vision-related problems
collection of books on that store that result from prolonged
computer, tablet, or cell phone
HOW EXTENSIVE IS OUR USE OF use
INTERNET? - Symptoms include headaches,
- Statistics shows that nearly 60 blurred vision, neck pain,
percent of the world’s fatigue, eye strain, dry eyes,
population is already online. irritated eyes, double vision,
- In the 2019 survey of “We Are dizziness, and difficulty
Social” reported that in the refocusing the eyes
Philippines, the time spent Health Risk: Hearing Problem
online daily increased from - Over 43 million people between
9.48hours in 2018 to 10.03 the ages of 12-35 years live with
hours in 2019. disabling hearing loss due to
- For four straight years different causes.
(2016-2019), the Philippines - Among teenagers and young
topped the worldwide social adults aged 12-35 years in
media users middle- and high-income
countries:
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES - Nearly 50% are exposed to
THAT WE FACE IN THE DIGITAL ERA? unsafe levels of sound from the
use of personal audio devices.
Health Concerns - Around 40% are exposed to
- Accidents potentially damaging sound
- Physical Problems levels at clubs, discotheques
- Eye problems and bars.
- Hearing problems - The use of headphones for more
- Brain Cancer than five minutes per day at
- Depression high volume puts people at an
Health Risk: Eye Problem increased risk for permanent
hearing loss.

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Issues in S&T: Information Age
- Noise-induced hearing loss is Inskip et al. (2010)
irreversible. - examined temporal trends in
- Once you lose your hearing, it brain cancer incidence rates
won’t come back! using data collected by the
How to make listening safe? surveillance, epidemiology, and
- Keep the volume down end results program
- Limit time spent engaged in - found out that the incidence
noisy activities data do not provide support to
- The daily recommended safe the view that cellular phone use
volume level is below 85 dB for causes brain cancer
duration of a maximum of eight Hardell et al. (2010)
hours - investigated the use of mobile
- Limiting the daily use of or cordless phones and the risk
personal audio devices. While it for malignant brain tumors in a
is important to keep the volume group of deceased cases
down, limiting the use of - confirmed the results of an
personal audio devices to less association between mobile
than one hour a day would do phone use and malignant brain
much to reduce noise exposure. tumors
Radiation from Phone Depression
- As stated by the National - Studies show that increase in
Cancer Institute, "there is social-media use and television
currently no consistent viewing are linked to symptoms
evidence that non�ionizing of depression among teens.
radiation increases cancer risk - Boers et al. (2019) analyzed
in humans. The only survey data of more than 3,800
consistently recognized Canadian teens to identify how
biological effect of young people's use of digital
radiofrequency radiation in media may affect their mental
humans is heating." well-being. The researchers
- Cell phones emit low levels of found when participants
non-ionizing radiation while in increased their social-media use
use or their television consumption
Possible Brain Cancer in a given year, they also had

6
Issues in S&T: Information Age
higher levels of depressive - That is why using the phone
symptoms. while driving is dangerous.
- Lin et al. (2016) found a positive In the United States
association between social - about 1,600,000 deaths in road
media use and depression. It crashes are caused by people
indicates that frequent use of using mobile phones while
social media may be associated driving
with declines in subjective - texting while driving is 6x more
well-being, life satisfaction, and likely to cause an accident than
real- life community. driving drunk.
- Elison et al. (2007) reported In the Philippines
that social media users may - mobile phone use is the ranked
experience decreased as the 12th most common cause
depression, due to perceived of traffic crashes
social support, and life - from 2001 to 2006 alone, road
satisfaction. crashes caused by the use of
- The US National Center For mobile phones increased five
Biotechnology Information times or 500 percent,the
Links heavy social media use to highest rate of increase among
depression (Dollarhide, 2019) traffic accident causes
Accidents - To minimize accidents caused
- Many people think they can do by distracted driving, the
two things at once, like talking Philippines enacted RepublicAct
or texting on the phone while No. 10913 Anti-Distracted
driving, but it's just not possible Driving Act of 2016.
to concentrate fully on both.
- Research done by the American WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES
Psychological Association AND CONCERNS THAT WE FACE IN
shows that the brain has THIS DIGITAL ERA?
difficulty processing two tasks Social Media
simultaneously. - collective term for websites and
- It can switch between the tasks applications which focus on
but will perform each more communication and sharing of
slowly.

7
Issues in S&T: Information Age
information, ideas, personal and sharing of photos (publicly or
messages, etc. privately)
- first introduced in 1997 with the Video Sharing Site
launching of Six Degrees, a online platform for uploading, sharing
smaller version of Facebook, videos or live streaming their own
allowed users to create a profile videos to the internet; can be for the
and connect with friends and general public to watch, or particular
AOL Instant Messenger allowed users on a shared network.
users to talk in real time Social Blogging Site
- Since then a host of different an online publishing platform that blend
platforms have become features of both traditional blogging
available for news sources, chat and social networking.
rooms, spurring creativity, Social Community & Discussion Site
sharing personal information, online discussion forum that provides
dating, etc. platform for different online
Most Popular Social Media communities where users can
In 2012, Facebook became the 1st anonymously share content and
social media platform to surpass 1 discuss various subjects
billion users. As of April 2020, it is the
most popular social media platform CYBERCRIME
worldwide with 2.5 billion monthly Crime that use computer to advance
active users. other illegal activities
- cyberstalking
CATEGORIES OF SOCIAL MEDIA - identity theft
Social Networking Site - spamming
online platform for building social - hacking
networks or social relationships with - phishing
other people who share similar Crime that target computer networks or
personal or career interests, activities, devices
backgrounds or real-life connections - viruses attack
Image Sharing & Messaging Site - Malware attack
online platform for publishing or - denial-of-service (DoS) attacks
transferring digital photos online;
includes uploading, hosting, managing Social Engineering

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Issues in S&T: Information Age
- manipulation of people into baited with an email, phone call,
divulging confidential or or, perhaps, a text message and
sensitive information tricked into “voluntarily”
- most done over email but responding with information.
regularly carried out over the
phone President Benigno Aquino signed into
Spamming law in 2012
unsolicited bulk messages sent to - RepublicAct No. 10175
multiple recipients who did not ask for - Cybercrime Prevention Act of
them the Philippines
What spam does: - RA 10175 intends to penalize
- Distribute advertisement: acts like cybersex, child
Commercial spam pornography, identity theft and
religious spam unsolicited electronic
political spam communication in the country
- Distribute malware or virus
- Phishing DATA PRIVACY
- Hacking - also known as information
Phishing and Hacking privacy
- Phishing is masquerading as a - Data privacy is the necessity to
trustworthy source in an preserve and protect any
attempt to bait a user to personal information, collected
surrender sensitive information by any organization, from being
such as a username, password, accessed by a third party.
credit card number, etc - Any personal data that could be
- Vishing/smishing is phishing sensitive or can be used
done via voice calls or text maliciously by someone is
messaging to trick users in included when considering data
giving personal information privacy .
- Hacking is using exploits to gain Data Privacy Act of 2012
access to something you do not - RepublicAct No. 10173
normally have access to - President Benigno Aquino
- A phish, which is ultimately a signed into law in 2012
hack, occurs when a user is

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Issues in S&T: Information Age
- RA 10173 intends to protect the privacy breaches involving
personal information of its COVID-19 patients.
citizens from being disclosed - Some of the data breaches were
without its consent. allegedly committed by health
- The National Privacy workers. In one instance, a
Commission (NPC) is an hospital staff took a photo of
independent body created the death certificate of a
under the RA which is mandated suspected COVID-19 patient and
to administer implement its posted it in their department
provisions and monitor/ensure group chat. One of the members
- compliance of the country with sent that photo to her own
international standards set for family group chat, from which
data protection. her father forwarded it to
Scope of Data Privacy Act of the another group chat. The photo
Philippines of the death certificate ended
All personal information must be: up in several group chats.
- collected for reasons that are
specified, legitimate, and FAKE NEWS
reasonable Stories written with the intent to
- kept accurate and relevant, used mislead in order to damage an entity or
only for the stated purposes person or gain financially or politically,
- discarded in a way that does not often using sensationalist, dishonest or
make it visible and accessible to fabricated headlines to increase
unauthorized third parties readership.
The National Privacy Commission has - junk news
defined data privacy as the right of an - Pseudo news
individual not to disclose his
information and to live free from Types of Fake News
surveillance MIS-information
Data Privacy Breaches - False information disseminated
- From mid-March to late May without harmful intent
2020, the National Privacy DIS-information
Commission (NPC) had been - Created and shared by people
investigating 22 complaints of with harmful intent

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Issues in S&T: Information Age
MAL-information - Are they using appropriate
- Sharing of ‘genuine’ information sources & data?
with the intent to cause harm. - Are there quotations with
references?
Effects of Fake News Authority
1. The illusory effect: the fact that - Who wrote it?
if a lie is repeated enough times, - Are they credible?
you’ll begin to believe it’s true. - Are they a real person?
This may lead to unexpected Purpose/Point of View
consequences. - Why is it being written?
2. The impact on the public - Is it fact or opinion?
relations profession. It would be
unfair to those journalists who Fake News during Pandemic
hold to a higher standard of Infodemic
reporting while others can - One suspect, a public school
publish completely false teacher, wrote on Facebook on
information March 27 that food supplies in
3. The impact on consumers’ General Santos City were
views of news media. With so running low. He allegedly urged
much false information, the public to seize food that was
consumers will become being stored in a gym. Another
skeptical which will erode the suspect posted a list of people
trust they should have in the he said had contracted
mass media. COVID-19 on Facebook to help
in contact tracing.
Identifying the Fake News - President Duterte on March 24
CRAP test (Kunkel, 2018) and Examine signed a bill granting him
the following questions emergency powers to combat
Currency the Covid-19 crisis, which
- When was the article written? included a section that imposed
- What about the sources they are jail time and a fine of up 1 million
using? pesos for spreading false
Relevance/Reliability information about the disease

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Issues in S&T: Information Age
on social media or other which can cause the inability to think
platforms. clearly.

OTHER ISSUES AND CONCERNS

Digital Divide is a term that refers to
the gap between demographics and
regions that have access to modern
information and communications
technology, and those that don't or
have restricted access.

Technophobia which merely means “a

fear of technology,” including the use of
computers and similar electronic
devices, is one of the most common
anxieties produced by the information
age.
- If a person shows dread or panic
and uncontrolled reaction in
response to the use of
technology, he may be
technophobic.
- Technology strategists have
compared information overload
to physical obesity, as
“infobesity”. Just as our eyes are
sometimes larger than our
stomachs, our interest can be
significantly greater than our
brain capacity.

Information overload (cognitive

overload) is a situation in which too
much information is given at one time

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