Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics were created in 1992 by the Computer Ethics Institute. The commandments were introduced in the paper "In Pursuit of a 'Ten Commandments' for Computer Ethics" by Ramon C. Barquin as a means to create "a set of standards to guide and instruct people in the ethical use of computers." The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics copies the style of the Ten Commandments from The Bible and uses the archaic "thou shalt" and "thou shalt not" found in the King James version.

The commandments have been widely quoted in computer ethics literature but also have been criticized by both the hacker community and some in academia. For instance, Dr. Ben Fairweather of the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility has described them as "simplistic" and overly restrictive.

The CISSP — an organization of computer security professionals — has used the commandments as a foundation for its own ethics rules.

The Ten Commandments

1. Thou shall not use a computer to harm other people.
2. Thou shall not interfere with other people's computer work.
3. Thou shall not snoop around in other people's files.
4. Thou shall not use a computer to steal.
5. Thou shall not use a computer to bear false witness.
6. Thou shall not use or copy commercial software for which you have not paid.
7. Thou shall not use other people's computer resources without authorization.
8. Thou shall not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
9. Thou shall think about the social consequences of the program you write.
10. Thou shall use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect....

External links

• The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics listed at Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
• The Computer Ethics Institute
• Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility