"You wouldn't steal a car, you wouldn't steal a handbag... piracy is illegal", this is the start of the campaign slogan for an anti-pirating campaign by the Motion Picture Association and the Federation Against Copyright Theft. Even in the early 2000's, morality, ethicality, and the law were an evolving field in the realm of technology.

Morality is the attempt to define right from wrong, while ethics are the moral principles people choose to live by, and law is what a collective has determined to hold moral value and enforceability to a group.

Morality can be subject to social norms, cultural practices, and religious influences and as such can vary wildly from person to person and over time. With the debut of information systems, new dilemmas will arise, such as "Downloading pirated films is stealing". Prediction may not be reliable, so understanding the ethical implications of implementing information systems is paramount.

While morality and ethics inform law, they may not be as applicable to novel issues. That is why integrity is a vital component in moving forward in the world of integrated information systems. Through consistency in values and morals within a social group, new laws can be passed to protect the new digital playing field. With ever increasing abilities, ever strengthening boundaries are necessary, and with integrity in implementing ethics into lawful regulations, the new world of IT is sure to thrive.

The above post discusses the subjects of morals, ethics, and the law, pointing out the differences; it also talks about how does integrity (i.e., acting in a consistent manner according to one's principles) play a role in that mix. Now please leave some feedback to the post.