Pass the WGU Courses and Certificates Ethics-In-Technology Questions and answers with CertsForce

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers to the ethical obligation of organizations to go beyond legal requirements in improving societal and employee well-being. In this scenario, the organization is voluntarily offering additional parental leave benefits, which demonstrates a commitment to the welfare of its employees beyond what is legally mandated.

CSR involves initiatives that benefit various stakeholders, including employees, customers, communities, and the environment. By offering enhanced parental leave benefits, the organization acknowledges its responsibility to promote work-life balance, employee satisfaction, and overall social welfare, which are key principles of CSR.

Utilitarianism (Greatest Good Principle) – Providing extended parental leave benefits leads to greater well-being for employees and their families, fostering a more positive and productive workforce.

Deontological Ethics (Duty-Based Ethics) – The company recognizes its ethical duty to care for employees beyond legal obligations, emphasizing moral responsibility rather than mere compliance.

Virtue Ethics (Moral Character of the Organization) – The decision reflects virtues such as empathy, fairness, and social responsibility, reinforcing an ethical corporate culture.

Corporate Social Responsibility Frameworks – Organizations like the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and ISO 26000 emphasize the importance of CSR in areas such as labor practices, human rights, and community involvement.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:By integrating CSR principles into employee benefits, the organization fosters a more ethical and socially responsible business environment.

The data scientist's approach raises two key ethical concerns:

Proxy Discrimination (C) – Using demographic data from limited zip codes may create biased AI models that discriminate against certain racial, economic, or social groups. Zip codes often reflect historical segregation, leading to unfair predictions.

Small Sample Size (D) – Training an AI model on a limited set of familiar zip codes introduces selection bias, reducing the model's ability to generalize across diverse populations. This affects fairness and accuracy.

Algorithmic Fairness & Bias (FAT/ML Guidelines) – AI models must avoid using biased proxies and ensure diverse training data.

Privacy & Ethical AI (GDPR, CCPA) – AI decisions must not indirectly discriminate based on location, race, or socioeconomic status.

Utilitarian Ethics (Maximizing Fairness & Inclusivity) – AI should benefit all groups equally, not just selected demographics.

IEEE & ACM AI Ethics Standards – Encourage transparent, unbiased data selection to prevent discrimination.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct answers are C. Proxy discrimination and D. Small sample size, as both contribute to bias in AI models.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the privacy of patient health records and restricts unauthorized access to Protected Health Information (PHI).

Why HIPAA applies to this case:

The nurse accessed the patient’s medical records without authorization, violating the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

HIPAA mandates that only authorized healthcare professionals involved in patient care can access medical records.

Unauthorized access is considered a HIPAA violation, which can result in penalties and disciplinary action.

A. Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) – Protects electronic communications from government surveillance but does not apply to medical records.

C. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) – Regulates financial data privacy, not medical information.

D. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) – Protects children’s data on websites and apps but does not cover hospital records.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is B. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as it enforces strict privacy rules for patient medical records.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (1996), 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) HIPAA Guidelines.

Solove, D. J. (2019). Understanding Privacy.

References in Ethics in Technology:

MYSTIC is a secret NSA surveillance program used to intercept and record telephone conversations in multiple non-U.S. countries. The program was revealed in 2014 by Edward Snowden and reportedly enabled full audio recording of phone calls in certain nations.

MYSTIC’s ethical concerns stem from mass surveillance, privacy violations, and the lack of transparency in government data collection.

Mass Surveillance Ethics (Snowden Leaks, 2013–2014) – Revealed NSA’s large-scale digital surveillance programs, including PRISM and MYSTIC.

Privacy & Government Surveillance (Fourth Amendment & FISA) – Raises concerns about warrantless surveillance of foreign citizens.

Utilitarian vs. Deontological Ethics – Justifications for national security must balance against individual privacy rights.

International Human Rights (UN Privacy Guidelines) – Warrantless global surveillance challenges privacy rights under international law.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct answer is C. MYSTIC, as it was used by the NSA to intercept and record telephone conversations in non-U.S. countries.

The Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice outlines principles that software engineers must follow to ensure ethical responsibility.

Why Judgment?

The director is evaluating and updating a credit approval system to ensure ethical standards are met.

This aligns with the Judgment principle, which requires software engineers to apply ethical reasoning, fairness, and due diligence in system development.

Ethical judgment ensures that software systems do not introduce bias or unfair decision-making.

A. Management: Involves leadership responsibilities, but the focus here is ethical decision-making.

B. Colleagues: Covers professional relationships, not ethical system evaluation.

C. Self: Refers to continuous learning and improvement, which is not the core issue here.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is D. Judgment, as it reflects ethical responsibility in software development.

Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice, ACM & IEEE-CS.

Tavani, H. T. (2016). Ethics and Technology: Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical Computing.

References in Ethics in Technology:

Under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the FBI can monitor communications without a warrant if both parties are non-U.S. citizens and the surveillance is conducted for intelligence purposes.

However, if one or both parties are U.S. citizens, the FBI would typically require a warrant under FISA or a separate court authorization, even in a short-term investigation.

FISA (1978) & Patriot Act (2001) – Provide legal authority for surveillance but impose restrictions on monitoring U.S. citizens.

Fourth Amendment (Privacy Rights) – Prevents warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens except in national security cases.

Snowden Leaks (2013) & Mass Surveillance Ethics – Raised concerns over the overreach of intelligence agencies in digital surveillance.

Deontological Ethics (Right to Privacy vs. National Security) – Governments must balance security concerns with individual privacy rights.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct answer is A. Calls between two non-U.S. citizens, as FISA allows warrantless surveillance in such cases.

Industrial espionage refers to the unauthorized theft or copying of trade secrets, proprietary information, or intellectual property from one company to another, often to gain a competitive advantage.

Why is this Industrial Espionage?

The sibling stole proprietary source code from Employee A’s laptop.

This act provides unfair competitive advantage to the sibling’s company.

Unauthorized access to trade secrets violates legal and ethical standards (e.g., Economic Espionage Act).

A. Nepotism – Favoring family members in hiring or promotions, but this case involves theft.

B. Conflict of Interest – Would apply if Employee A voluntarily shared information, but here, it was stolen.

D. Corruption – Involves bribery or unethical business practices but does not specifically relate to corporate theft.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is C. Industrial Espionage, as it involves theft of confidential trade secrets.

Economic Espionage Act (1996), 18 U.S.C. §§ 1831-1839.

OECD Guidelines on Corporate Ethics and Intellectual Property Protection.

References in Ethics in Technology:

Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) is a digital system that allows healthcare providers to enter medication orders electronically, significantly reducing medication errors.

Why CPOE?

Eliminates handwriting-related errors from illegible prescriptions.

Ensures complete medication details before processing.

Often integrates with decision support tools to flag incorrect dosages and drug interactions.

B. Health Information Exchange (HIE): Facilitates data sharing between healthcare providers but does not focus on preventing medication errors.

C. Electronic Medical Record (EMR): Stores patient data but does not address prescription-related errors directly.

D. Clinical Decision Support (CDS): Assists providers in making clinical decisions but does not replace the ordering process like CPOE.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is A. Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) because it directly prevents prescription errors caused by illegible handwriting or incomplete data.

Bates, D. W. et al. (1998). Effect of Computerized Physician Order Entry and a Team Intervention on Prevention of Serious Medication Errors.

Institute of Medicine (2000). To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System.

References in Ethics in Technology:

A white hat hacker is an ethical cybersecurity specialist hired to test an organization’s security infrastructure and identify vulnerabilities before malicious attackers exploit them. Unlike black hat hackers (who engage in illegal activities), white hat hackers operate within legal and ethical boundaries to strengthen cybersecurity defenses.

In this scenario, the company hires a specialist to test security systems for vulnerabilities, which aligns with the role of a white hat hacker or ethical hacker.

Ethical Hacking & Cybersecurity (CEH Certification) – Ethical hackers conduct penetration testing to identify weaknesses.

Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA, 1986) – Authorizes legal hacking for security testing purposes.

ACM & IEEE Ethical Standards – Ethical hacking must follow responsible disclosure and legal guidelines.

Utilitarian Ethics (Greatest Good Principle) – Ethical hacking prevents cyberattacks, benefiting organizations and society.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct answer is B. White hat hacker, as the specialist is legally testing security vulnerabilities.

Workplace monitoring refers to the collection and analysis of employee data to improve workflow efficiency, productivity, and business operations. It involves tracking metrics such as work hours, system usage, and productivity patterns—all while ensuring the data is used strictly for business purposes.

Workplace Privacy Ethics – Ethical monitoring should balance business needs with employee privacy rights.

Surveillance Ethics (Foucault, 1975) – Excessive monitoring could violate employee autonomy, making ethical boundaries crucial.

Corporate Governance & Employee Rights (ISO 27001, GDPR) – Transparency and consent are required when monitoring employee data.

Deontological Ethics (Kantian Ethics) – Treats employees as ends rather than means, ensuring fair workplace practices.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, C. Workplace monitoring is the correct answer since the organization collects aggregate employee data to improve workflow.