Information Ethics: Islamic Perspectives on Privacy and Hacking

Abstract

The advancement in information and communication technologies (ICTs) has created ethical dilemmas; as many individuals have continued to use these ICTs for ulterior motives. Little seems to be done about the ethical underpinnings that should guide all ICT users; with recurrent worrying cases of privacy invasion and hacking globally. This study, therefore, sought to identify and incorporate Islamic principles with information ethics as a means to curtail and/or stop abuse of people's privacy and hacking. The study was library-oriented; hence, relevant literature was consulted for the research. The study revealed that people's privacy could be abused by hackers out of the latter's curiosity, ego or for blackmail. At the end of the study, the research encouraged all stakeholders to uphold ethical standards and that the time is ripe that information ethics be taught in institutions of learning in order equip everyone with perceptual and attitudinal inclination towards ethical behaviour while use ICTs in the information society.