New Directions in Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics: Codes of Conduct in the Digital Environment

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has an impact on many areas of society, and it has recently been active in the digital space, a growing area of business activity. However, certain factors prevent it from firmly establishing itself in this area. One of these factors is the lack of user trust. Certain instruments have been created to address this issue, such as codes of conduct that seek to mitigate the causes of distrust by making significant improvements in the regulations and ethical standards applicable to business transactions. These instruments are the product of industry self-regulation and complement rather than substitute for effective legal regulations. In light of some European Community (EC) directives, European legislators are addressing certain issues in this area, especially unfair business practices.