Reference no: EM134040968

Question

Identify and evaluate the ethical issues that arise in the following scenario from the three main perspectives of cyberethics that we examined in Chapter 1.3. Explain. In April 2014, Donald Sterling, then owner of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s San Diego Clippers, was accused of making racist remarks about African Americans. It turns out that Sterling's then (girl)friend, V. Stiviano, had recorded those remarks on an electronic device and then later decided to make them available to a wider audience. This incident received extensive media coverage in the United States and beyond. Many people were appalled by Sterling's remarks, and some also pointed out the irony in this incident, given that the majority of the players on his basketball team (who were largely responsible for generating income for Sterling) were African Americans. Shortly following the fallout from this controversy, Sterling was forced by the NBA to sell his team to a new owner. While most people agreed that Sterling should resign and be required to relinquish his NBA franchise, some were nevertheless troubled by the manner in which his remarks, which were made in confidence to a close friend, were secretly recorded via a digital device and then (eventually) made available to the public.19 The practice of secretly recording someone's private conversations is not exactly new; after all, law enforcement authorities have used "wiring" devices to trap suspected criminals into disclosing information that can lead to their arrests. But the idea that ordinary people, especially those in intimate relationships, can now so easily record conversations in deceptive ways via their tiny digital devices can seem chilling. For example, would this practice influence what intimate friends would be willing (or not willing) to say to each other in (supposed) confidence? Would it also alter our privacy expectations in the future with respect to conversations with romantic partners?