Making the global information society good: A social justice perspective on the ethical dimensions of the global information society

Society is seen as a continuation of relationships which have been altered by the use of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs). Four interrelated characteristics of the global Information Society also are identified. After a brief overview of the main socioethical issues facing the global Information Society, the article discusses the application of social justice as a moral tool that has universal moral validity and which can be used to address these ethical challenges. It is illustrated that the scope of justice is no longer limited to domestic issues. Three core principles of justice are furthermore distinguished, and based on these three principles, seven categories of justice are introduced. It is illustrated how these categories of justice can be applied to address the main ethical challenges of the Information Society. At both World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) meetings held in Geneva (December 2003) and Tunis (November 2005), the debate on the ethical dimensions and challenges facing the global Information Society did not go un-noticed. Following the Geneva summit, two documents were published: the Declaration of Principles and the Plan of Action (WSIS, 2003). After the Tunis summit, two further documents were published: the Tunis Commitment (WSIS, 2005a) and the Tunis agenda for the Information Society (WSIS, 2005b). In the Declaration of Principles, Paragraphs 56–59 specifically deal with the ethical dimensions of the Information Society. The Declaration's statements include: • The global Information Society must uphold the fundamental values of human freedom. • Human rights should be respected. • There should be no abusive use of modern ICT [information and communication technology]. Part C10 of the Plan of Action furthermore states that " the Information Society should be subject to universally held values and promote the common good and to prevent abusive uses of ICTs " (Paragraph 25). It sets out a number of actions. I summarize the most important of these: • All stakeholders should increase awareness of the ethical dimensions of the Information Society. • All actors in the Information Society should promote the common good. • Stakeholders, including academia, are invited to continue research on the ethical dimensions of ICTs. In the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, issued after the Tunis meeting of the WSIS, this commitment to the Geneva Declaration of Principles (Paragraphs 55–59) as well as to the Action Plan was confirmed (WSIS, 2005b). UNESCO is one of the lead facilitating agencies for …