GENG 101 Ethics and the Engineering Profession Fall 2017 Homework #9 – Ethical Analysis PRISM 1 is a code name for an intelligence program under which the United States National Security Agency (NSA) collects internet communications from at least nine major US internet companies. 2 The existence of the program was a U.S. government secret until leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013. 3 Some argue that PRISM is an unconstitutional violation of the right of privacy. 4 Others suggest PRISM is an indispensable security tool for the U.S. and its allies. 5 The purpose of this homework is to practice applying the ethical theory of Utilitarianism to analyze a controversy associated with the unauthorized collection of data by a government (U.S. or foreign) and its effect on society. 1) First section Define the ethical concept of utilitarianism considering issues presented by “Big Data” collection. 2) Second section a) Identify an ethical issue regarding unauthorized data collection and its effect on society. Provide a brief description of the ethical issue. b) Form an ethical argument from a utilitarian perspective SUPPORTING unauthorized data collection to address the ethical issue identified in part 2)a) above. c) Form an ethical argument from a utilitarian perspective AGAINST unauthorized data collection to address the ethical issue identified in part 2)a) above. This paper is to be at least three (3) full pages long (not including references), typed, double-spaced using 12 point font, and standard margins (1” top, bottom, sides). Refer to the scoring rubric in D2L (Materials > Syllabus and Course Information > GENG101ScoringRubricsSec01-05_F17) for additional information. Note: Your grade depends upon properly using ethical theories to defend a position. Phrases like ‘I feel strongly that …’ or ‘I believe that …’ should not appear. Instead, phrases like “Utilitarianism requires that … and therefore ….” are better here. Some web references for ethical theories are given below.

• Internet Encyclopedia of Ethics: http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/#SSH1b.i

• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normative_ethics • A brief overview: http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/gwschlabach/docs/ethicsprimer.htm • Argument approaches summary: http://webpages.uah.edu/~heikesd/202/IntroEthicalTheory.pdf https://www.theverge.com/2013/7/17/4517480/nsa-spying-prism-surveillance-cheat-sheet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program) 3 Ibid. 4 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/nsa-surveillance-may-be-legal–but-itsunconstitutional/2013/06/21/b9ddec20-d44d-11e2-a73e-826d299ff459_story.html?utm_term=.ddcbec0c9540 5 http://www.heritage.org/defense/commentary/prism-essential-us-security-war-against-terrorism 1 2 GENG101HW09_F17