preview

Current Ethical Issues in Business Essay

Decent Essays

Current Ethical Issue in Business
Big Ben or Big Brother is an article that discusses a major aspect of today's ethical issues in the business world. This ethical issue has to do with invasion of privacy. Each year, the national members and affiliated organizations of Privacy International present the "Big Brother" awards to the government and private sector organizations which have done the most to threaten personal privacy in their countries. "Big Brother" awards are presented to the government agencies, companies and initiatives which have done most to invade personal privacy (Privacy International, n. d.). There are numerous amounts of countries that participate in the ceremonies for these awards, England being one of them.
In this …show more content…

Hours later he was battered to death. The cameras had not prevented his murder--but they did accelerate the killers' arrest (p.29). According to this author, "Britain has no laws on privacy also the British have a sometimes unhealthy belief in the state's wisdom" (p.29). Due to the reduction in crime, the city of Newham and the state of Britain have overwhelming support for extending the camera's gaze and the country thinks that "Big Brother is their best friend, for now" (p.29). This article is best described by the Utilitarianism theory, which is a goal-based ethical theory that is concerned more with the outcome rather than the intent. The politicians have-based their ideas on the "ultimate good, is the good of the overall society which may indeed require some individual sacrifice" (Adams, 2005 p.2) this sacrifice being privacy. If invading privacy will reduce crime, then the reduction in crime is worth all the criticism. "For the politicians, cost effective solutions have become more important than any hand-writing over privacy" (Underhill, 2000, p.29). The theory also undermines this article in reference to "the tyranny of the majority, in which the majority enjoys life while the minority suffers (Adams, 2005 p.2), because everyone's privacy is being invaded; the criminals as well as the law-abiding citizens. Everyone is treated the same. Is it right for the government to watch a person's every move? People might as well be in prison with

Get Access