Aspects of Social Responsibility in the Information Society

Abstract

The Information Society must be based on fundamental assumptions about information and human information rights, access, privacy, self-determination and personal control rather than on privilege, power and special interest. Those involved in the planning, development and implementation of the information systems that turn the Information Society into a reality are the custodians of the greatest change agent yet devised. They must recognise their social responsibilities and act accordingly for the benefit of society and its citizens. This chapter serves as an illustration of what types of social responsibility issues need to be addressed, who must address them and how they might be addressed. It discusses some of the basic aspects of social responsibility and the implications for the Information Society, drawing in particular from Corporate Social Responsibility. Five disparate cases illustrate how concepts are turned into real organisational policy. Two example applications, electronic voting and electronic patient records are used to illustrate the types of social responsibility issues that need to be addressed in order to tackle the digital divide and satisfy the needs and aspirations of stakeholders.