We Have A Code Of Ethics: Now What?

"Should software developers have a code of ethics?" How often have you seen this headline? From killer robots to cars that cheat emissions standards to psychological experiments conducted by Facebook, ethics in technology is a hot topic. However as a software developer you might not feel like you can make impact. First we’ll learn about the existing code of ethics published by the Association For Computing Machinery (ACM) and the options we have for regulating software development like other professions. Next we’ll cover the companies, organizations and educational institutions leading the way for a more ethical future. We’ll see that as a software developer you have more power than you think.

Given at iOSDevCampDC 2017.

Transcript

1. We Have A Code Of Ethics: Now What? Veronica Ray
2. Recently I led a lunch discussion at work
3. How many of you all are members of the ACM?
4. What are some guidelines you need to follow to ship code on your platform or at your company?
5. Have any of you ever faced ethical dilemmas in your work?
6. Roadmap 1. Existings codes of ethics 2. What we can learn from designers 3. Integrating ethics into your day to day work
7. Kantian vs Aristotelian Views
10. Pros Thorough Focused on ethics For so!ware engineers
11. Cons Not widely known Only enforceable for members of the organization
12. What is the ACM? Association For Computing Machinery World’s largest computing society 100,000 members More than half reside outside the US Offices in US, China and India
13. ACM 's Major Projects for 2017 and 2018 1. Updating ACM’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, which was adopted in 1992 2. Revising the enforcement procedures for the Code 3. Developing new media to promote integrity in the profession
15. What would a <5 paragraph code of ethics look like?
16. The Public Good Comes First
17. 3.1 Ensure that the public good is a central concern during all professional computing work. — 2018 ACM Code Of Ethics: Dra! 2
18. Enforcement Policy
19. Until recently, the official enforcement policy was not distributed via the web. — All Hands on Deck for ACM Ethics, Dec 12, 2016
20. What about plagarism?
21. Given the inconsistency between the ethics enforcement policy and the plagiarism policy we believe that a total reexamination of the policy and procedures is necessary. — All Hands on Deck for ACM Ethics, Dec 12, 2016
22. The Code...can be used by all computing professionals...but compliance issues are limited to ACM members and ACM events. — Listening to Professional Voices: Dra! 2 of the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
23. Integrity Project — Podcast — Ask an Ethicist advice column — Short and long form YouTube videos and a playlist of recommended videos
24. Oracle v. Google Court Case
25. Timeline May 2012: Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California ruled that APIs are not subject to copyright. Oracle appealed Judge Alsup's ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit May 9, 2014: Federal Circuit issued a decision reversing Judge Alsup and finding that the Java APIs are copyrightable, but leaving open the possibility that Google might have a fair use defense.
26. Timeline October 6, 2014: Google filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Federal Circuit's decision May 2016: A jury unanimously agreed that Google's use of the Java APIs was fair use
27. What is fair use?
28. In its most general sense, a fair use is any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. — Standford University Libraries
29. The four factors judges consider — the purpose and character of your use — the nature of the copyrighted work — the amount and substantiality of the portion taken, and — the effect of the use upon the potential market.
30. 1.5 Honor property rights, including copyrights and patents Even when so!ware is not so protected, such violations are contrary to professional behavior. Copies of so!ware should be made only with proper authorization. Unauthorized duplication of materials must not be condoned.
31. If everyone was able to ignore restrictions on open source licenses by claiming it was fair use, wouldn't that erode and prejudice the whole open source system? — Annette Hurst, Oracle attorney
32. The 2018 draft code of ethics has been updated to include fair use 1.5 Respect the work required to produce new ideas, inventions, and other creative and computing artifacts. Both custom and the law recognize that some exceptions to a creator’s control of a work are necessary to facilitate the public good. Computing professionals should not unduly oppose reasonable uses of their intellectual works.
33. While the code has been used, it doesn't have a day to day impact on many software engineers
34. All iOS developers know about Tough luck if you don't follow it Thorough Not focused only on ethics For everyone involved in the process of making apps
38. But not accessibility
39. Why isn't accessibility a requirement for apps in the app store? — It would be easier to just make accessible apps easier to discover on the app store — Would increase time to review apps — Apple does the minimum necessary by default
40. We will reject apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. — App Store Review Guidelines
41. Ethical Dilemmas
42. As developers, we are o!en one of the last lines of defense against potentially dangerous and unethical practices. — "The code I’m still ashamed of" by Bill Sourour
43. We can do better than just refusing to do unethical things that clients, designers and product managers ask us to do
44. What can we learn from designers?
45. Ethics For The Starving Designer Project by undergraduate student to get Singaporean designers talking about ethics Resulted in a manifesto that is now published online
46. More research, less codes
48. Usefulness
49. Feasibility
50. Universal Appeal
51. Only the minimum amount of personal information necessary should be collected in a system. — 2018 ACM Code Of Ethics: Dra! 2
53. Downsides You must define your own ethical code Difficult to enforce
54. Tragic Design
55. Design should not kill Design should not anger Design should not sadden Design should not exclude
56. Why is it hard to act ethically as software engineers?
57. What are our environments like? 1. Time pressure 2. We are rewarded when we follow the spec
58. What are we already trying to fit into our jam packed schedules? 1. Cleaning up technical debt 2. Learning 3. Mentoring 4. Contributing to open source projects 5. Testing
59. What if we made ethics a part of these every day activities? 1. Retrospectives 2. Standup 3. Sprint planning 4. Code reviews
60. Ethics Style Guide
61. The goal of The New York Times is to cover the news as impartially as possible — “without fear or favor,” in the words of Adolph Ochs, our patriarch... — Ethical Journalism
62. New York Times 57 pages Hasn't changed since 2004 No mention of journalism wide code of ethics Individual units of the company may adopt separate stricter policies For Guild-represented employees, enforcement is subject to applicable collective bargaining agreements
63. BuzzFeed News has the opportunity to help shape a new set of standards for a new generation of media. — BuzzfeedNews Standards and Ethics Guide
64. BuzzFeed News 6 pages Published in 2016 and expected to evolve over time No word on enforcement
65. New York Times BuzzFeed News Sources Prefer to do all their own reporting List of acceptable verified sources Anonymous quotes Explain why source is anonymous Explain why source is anonymous Quote approval Not covered Rare execeptions for countries where that is the norm Embeds of public social media posts Not covered Contact the user when embedding their post on a sensitive subject Accepting gi"s Should be returned Typically should be returned Relationship to sources Preserve a professional detachment Not covered Graphic content Not covered Allow readers to opt in Political donations No No In person or virtual interview In person is better In person is better
66. BuzzFeed staffers should seek to pay costs incurred over the course of an interview or source meeting over a meal or drink.
67. Even though this topic defies hard and fast rules, it is essential that we preserve a professional detachment, free of any whiff of bias.
68. Staff members may see sources informally over a meal or drinks, but they must keep in mind the difference between legitimate business and personal friendship.
69. A City Hall reporter who enjoys a weekly round of golf with a City Council member, for example, risks creating an appearance of coziness, even if they sometimes discuss business on the course.
70. Ownership