Internet ethics is a really broad term. It basically refers to the analysis of the role that the internet plays in what philosophers call the development of the good life - the kind of life that we want for ourselves, for society over all, the kinds of people we want to be. Is the internet playing a positive role in the development of that kind of life or is it hampering us in some way? And there are a lot of issues that fall under that umbrella. Everything from the role that social media plays in the creation of human relationships, to privacy, to net neutrality, to the whole question of who has and doesn't have access to the internet, to the development of the big data ecosystem, the kind of data that's collected, by whom and about whom, and for what purposes. There are a variety of questions that fall under that term and increasingly new questions because the internet has some connection to every aspect of our lives. PrivacyOne of the most interesting ethical questions on internet ethics revolves around privacy online. Can the internet continue to be a medium that invites creativity and freedom of expression and freedom of sharing information across borders even as it's becoming a tool of mass surveillance, either from corporate entities or from governments or from both? Increasingly we find that people are concerned that their personal data is being collected and stored and used in a variety of ways that they're not really aware of, that they don't want to have used against them, or in ways that they don't anticipate, and it's becoming really a problem for what had been a fantastic way to allow people to communicate. Big DataOne of the phenomena that the rise of the internet has led to is the collection and analysis of big data, which raises fascinating ethical questions about who or what the data is being collected about, who's being left out of that kind of data collection, who makes the decisions about what is being done with that data, and how much we can rely on it. There's aan air of objectivity and completeness about this data that turns out to be misleading, and at the same time we are relying on it as this objective source of truth on a very widespread societal level. We allow big data now to impact the decisions we make about who goes to prison, who gets bail, who gets a job, who gets insurance, what kind of majors people might go into in college. And it's fascinating to see a kind of maturing of the field and big data proponents and analysts themselves finding out that they have a much greater responsibility than they had initially realized. Net NeutralityOne of the ethical principles behind the development of the internet has been net neutrality, the idea that the controllers of the pipelines of the internet will not be able to pick and choose between the kinds of content that's available, that everything will be able to flow freely. And increasingly that's being challenged as the companies that really run those pipelines try to find ways to benefit or to encourage the consumption of some content more than others. And there are regulators getting involved and there are civil libertarians and civic groups trying to argue that we want to have this impartial, neutral, internet conduit. That will be one of the really interesting issues to watch: whether the internet continues to be a sort of neutral playground for communication and transfer of information or whether some content is favored in some way. What does that mean for freedom and access to information in general? Access to the InternetThe Markkula Center for Applied Ethics is in the heart of Silicon Valley, and even here in Silicon Valley there are people who don't have access to the internet or who have very limited access only via their phones, or not through broadband. We hear stories about students having to sit in their cars outside of McDonald's or some other place that offers free Wi-Fi. We need to ask whether internet access should be seen as a human right, especially in our society, in our culture. The fact that there are still vast numbers of people across the U.S. who have to struggle with this is an ethical imperative for the government and for corporations and for schools and for any other entities that deal with the broad public to consider. We should stop assuming that we all have access to the internet and that we can all use those resources. It's simply not true. The ethical question of how we create equality in a country where so much is dependent on the internet and so many people don't have access to it is really important.
A. Core principlesEvery eTwinner and their events, messages, posts, projects’ materials and everything published on the eTwinning platform must adhere to, and comply with, the following core principles, in line with the European Union’s Fundamental Values and general principles. - Be inclusive. Everyone’s opinions and views are always welcomed and allowed within the boundaries set in this Code of Conduct. eTwinners are encouraged to look beyond their own perspective, relate to different cultures and show sensitivity when including other eTwinners in their events, projects, groups, and networking activities – both online and on-site. eTwinning fosters understanding, empathy and openness towards one another with the aim of making the community a safe, harassment-free space. - Be respectful. Members of the eTwinning community must be respectful when dealing with their peers and interacting with one another. Respecting other people, and their activities on this platform, and assuming that their actions are motivated by good intentions will make eTwinners not only feel comfortable and safe, but also motivated and productive. eTwinners cannot insult or put down others, or incite violence against people based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or gender, and/or as a member of a country, group, or minority. - Be tolerant. Disagreement is inevitable, from time to time. Tolerance for the views of others drives the pragmatic approach encouraged in this community. What is important is to seek constructive solutions to disagreements and differing views, always within the limits as described and defined in this Code of Conduct, and accept that some cases may result to “agree to disagree”. - Be polite and friendly in all forms of communication – especially remote communication, where opportunities for misunderstanding are greater. Being polite means being aware and respecting the feelings of other people and showing it. As home of all eTwinners, eTwinning is the online space where they can express freely, exchange easily and elaborate considerately their ideas and thoughts and treat equally the ones of other eTwinners. This means doing our best to carefully choose words and content in events, projects’ materials, online and onsite meetings descriptions, posts, and messages.
B. Some rules all eTwinners must adhere toTo facilitate the understanding of what is allowed and what is not allowed on the eTwinning platform, eTwinning has drawn some rules which must be respected by all eTwinners. 1. No use of eTwinning for commercial purposes It’s strictly prohibited to use the platform for commercial purposes. Any company, initiative, event or software with a commercial intent will be removed, as will their access to the platform itself. 2. No direct threats, bullying nor harassment eTwinning does not tolerate bullying or harassment. If you are victim of cyberbullying or someone is threatening you while using any of the eTwinning spaces (public and private ones), please report the message or contact your Support Service. Be aware that anyone caught bullying or harassing other members of the platform may be permanently banned from eTwinning. 3. Intellectual property Ensure that the content you upload to the platform does not infringe any copyright. Before sharing pictures, videos, documents or any other resources, please make sure you have the right to do so. The eTwinning platform cannot host videos - you will need to upload your video to YouTube, DailyMotion or Vimeo first and then paste the link in eTwinning. Do not forget to have a look at their copyright policies too. 4. Impersonation eTwinners cannot impersonate other individuals or groups/organisations they do not represent in a manner that is intended to or does mislead, confuse, or deceive others. 5. Students (minors) eTwinning takes students’ privacy and safety seriously. Avoid posting pictures of pupils on your eTwinning Live profile, TwinSpace, Groups, etc. In case you do, make sure you have parents’ consent or that pupils are not recognisable. 6. Private information and Sensitive data Be thoughtful about content you post that relates to others. You should not share your or other eTwinners' private information - such as personal phone numbers and addresses, credit card details or other private information - or intimate pictures and videos. Always think before you post!
C. “Netiquette”eTwinners should conduct their online interactions professionally, politely, and respectfully as they would do in their real-life interactions. Below are some examples of what users should and should not do. 1. Careful and responsible use of the internal message system Refrain from sending too many messages to teachers with whom you are not working. Before contacting a user: check their profile; check if they are available for projects; make sure your message is relevant. Do not send the exact same message to more eTwinners. 2. Avoid spamming in forums The eTwinning Live partner forums generate thousands of messages. Make sure that your message considers the subject of the thread. Before publishing a new post, check to see if there are other relevant messages on the subject and reply to them. Help us keep the forums relevant to improve collaboration! 3. Only post relevant and appropriate comments on people’s posts When posting a comment on somebody else’s profile, make sure it is relevant to the user. Comments must be for individuals and related to the user’s post. Do not write the same comment to more users. 4. Avoid random contact requests and project invitations Avoid asking eTwinners to be part of your contacts or to join your project without any previous communication. Make sure you have a reasonable and manageable number of contacts in your list. Do you want to keep track of someone’s updates? Follow them instead. 5. Targeted events invitation Avoid inviting your contacts to events you are organising, unless you are certain that these colleagues can participate. Random invitation to events organised in your school will be considered spam.
D. Violation of the Code of ConductWhat can you do if you feel that an eTwinner is not respecting the Code of Conduct? In the Support Community, we do our utmost to protect people from abuse in eTwinning, but as an active and pluralistic community, we count on each and every eTwinner to help us maintain the positive attitude and reduce unwelcome incidents. Therefore, we encourage eTwinners to report when necessary. In case you encounter posts, events or comments in Journals and Forums, receive a private message, or see content that is offensive, infringes copyright or data protection, or you simply find inappropriate, you can use the “report” button – if available, otherwise you can contact your Support Service - and share your reasons for reporting. Your message will be handled by the Support Services. What happens if somebody is not respecting the Code of Conduct? Failure to comply with the rules included in this Code of Conduct constitutes a violation of its terms and may result in temporary or permanent removal of any posting or material uploaded by eTwinners, at any time, without prior notice. In such cases, the authors of the materials and their Support Service will be informed and reasons for the removal will be provided. Users who do not comply with the Code of Conduct may also be banned, temporarily or permanently, from eTwinning. In case of controversies, a final decision will be taken by the European Commission, on behalf of which eTwinning is operated.