Date of Award

5-2019

Document Type

Thesis - SCU Access Only

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2019.

Degree Name

Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL)

Director

Lisa Fullam

Abstract

By the use of our smart phones, tablets, laptop computers and the Internet, we celebrate and bask in the capabilities that communications technologies permit us. However, with these new capacities come consequences that we can choose to ignore at our own risk, or confront, in order that by intelligibly and ethically tackling them, we may arrive at solutions that either mitigate the unwanted effects, or totally eradicate them. This work examines the contemporary world of computer-based communications technologies with a view of highlighting the impact of adopting an ethical stance of disclosure on privacy. It explores the conditions that influence privacy both online and offline, and the social, economic, political, and moral structures that promote or demote the value of privacy.

It applies the disclosive methodology of Philip Brey who structured his idea around shining the light on moral controversies embedded in computer technologies in order to engage their moral opacity intelligibly. To achieve this, disclosive ethics goes through three stages of disclosure, theory and application. Privacy is examined in the context of Google Inc. – a big player in the privacy controversy, whose popularity is internationally widespread.

The hope behind this work is to enlighten the mind of the reader about the practices adopted by the big names at the center of the privacy debate and also to join my voice to that of the increasing crowd of people who long for the ethical guidance of our use of technology.

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