Governance of ICT Security: A Perspective from the JRC

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are enabling unforeseen capabilities in all aspect of our lives. They are reframing how we think, learn, work, play, and interact at personal, social, and political level. While these technologies are essential for society and for today's information economy, several aspects of their applications remain un-reflected and open to surprises. For the first time in Opinion 26 (2012) the EGE has extended its analysis to ICT, identifying and addressing some key- problems in ICT ethics, as well as looking at the ethical implications of different ICT applications, new fields of research, and future developments. Opinion 28 will specifically deal with security and surveillance technologies, a domain where the ICT normative issues are even more problematic, due to the ethical, legal, and political ambiguities affecting these concepts and their histories. The reflections proposed here below touch on some general normative issues concerning ICT implications, and discuss a few key elements in the construction of a framework for their governance, especially in the fields of security and surveillance.