Legal And Professional

1. Introduction

1.1 Scenario

You are the manager of an information centre in which there are Internet terminals for public use. Staff report that they have noticed a user accessing pornographic sites, and they suspect that he may be trying deliberately to offend them and other users. They ask you not only to deal with this case, but to find ways of stopping similar things in future.

1.2 Background

Computer misuse can be complicated to identify but it is clear that public debate focuses on the theme of pornography .

Internet pornography is a growing public concern. In 2001, 2% of all websites (around 74,000 sites) contained adult pornographic material, with an estimated 20,000 new pages added per day .

This report highlights some of the issues raised by the above scenario and suggests measures that could be taken to gain fuller understanding and propose a possible solution.

2. Underlying issues

2.1 Ethical implications

In the arena of Strategic Management, an ethical issue is one which can either benefit or bring harm to others . It is the responsibility of individuals to determine whether their actions will affect those around them. Pornography is one of many issues which are generally not acceptable in our information centre, let alone society as a whole.

2.1.1 Freedom of access

The Internet is a public resource; anyone with the correct software and tools can access it and make use of it.

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions states that “intellectual freedom is the right of every individual both to hold and express opinions and to seek and receive information” . As an information