Cyber Ethical Challenges of COVID-19 web event draws full house

Cyber Ethical Challenges of COVID-19 web event draws full house

The web meeting co-organised by Globethics.net and the Cyberlaw University on the afternoon of 12 May 2020 on the topic ‘Cyber Ethical Challenges of COVID-19' drew a full house of 100 participants from four continents with more participants waiting in the wings.

The three keynote speakers - Globethics.net President and Founder, Christoph Stückelberger; Globethics.net Board of Foundation member, Honorary Chancellor of Cyberlaw University, Pavan Duggal; and the founder of Bringspring Company and former Globethics.net Board Member, Cui Wantian - addressed critical ethical challenges related to emerging security, social and technical issues posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and engaged with participants during the web meeting.
The web meeting was organised in light of the fact that during the COVID-19 pandemic the Internet is enabling vital services to provide information and to communicate and manage emergencies. At the same time cyber ethical challenges are emerging, including threats to cybersecurity, increases in cybercrime, governments collecting more personal data and information than before, voluntary or compulsory tracing and the deepening of inequalities in education and in work for those without Internet access.

"As a cyber hospital we store the health date of many customers in a database… we do not have the right to use these customers' data… Chinese society is increasingly concerned about the protection of the privacy of individuals", observed Cui Wantian in his presentation, based on experience at Bringsping, which provides over 3,000 hospitals and medical care institutions with scientific products and services in China and other countries. Another concern that he flagged was fake news that "has misled a lot of people, with extremely serious consequences. There is a communication vacuum that needs to be addressed. So far I haven't seen a good solution for it", he said.

Moderator and presenter at the web meeting, Christoph Stückelberger stated that "The perception of the Covid-19 virus is different across cultures… there is a distinction between discipline versus freedom cultures", referring to the comparison of different leadership, strategy and results in response to the pandemic around the world. He asserted a cultural influence in the development and use of tracing apps in the level of control used and the level of privacy tolerated, citing findings of the Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report of 5 May 2020. In the Report globally on average 61 per cent of respondents were willing to give up their personal health and location data to help contain the spread of the virus with the percentage ranging from 45 per cent in France to 91 per cent in China. Stückelberger concluded his presentation with a focus on equality of access to the Internet during the pandemic with the need to increase support for the estimated 40 per cent of students without access and unable to continue their education.

Pavan Duggal tackled ethical challenges of cyber crime against a background of increasing cyber security breaches targeting companies, medical and educational institutions and individuals. With the Covid-19 pandemic vulnerability is augmented by the massive move to online meetings, homeworking and schooling. "The use of tracing apps to intercept and monitor has impacts on freedom of movement when citizens are obliged to download apps", Duggal informed participants. " When one talks about the intersection between cyber security and ethics, privacy plays an important role… it is imperative that people need to appreciate that they need to respect data privacy and personal privacy of various person", he said. "COVID-19 is a game changer… there will be a new world order post COVID-19 that will have an impact on digital liberties".

You can read the presentations made during the web meeting:

Due to popular demand the web meeting will be repeated on 18 May 2020 at 14:00 Central European Time (CET). To register contact info@cyberlawuniversity.com.

Фонд кардинала Поля Пупара
РАНХиГС
Национальный банковский клуб Ассоциация российских банков
FederBio
Российский союз промышленников и предпринимателей
Московская ассоциация предпринимателей
National Union of grain producers
Russian Orthodox Church
Globethics