Current ethical scruples concerning information engineering

Abstract

In the irresistible emergence of e-society the individual is represented by his/her electronic identity. The theoretical and practical pros and cons of electronic identity are treated, the harmonization and contradictions of privacy and security interests, and their relationship to the principles of liberty and solidarity, individual and society. The issues of democratic control and influence to further developments of democracy are discussed with a special focus on the ethical duties and possible actions of the engineering community, with some references to the dramatic events of global terrorism, extreme fundamentalism and to the local efforts of Hungarian Information technology.