In this chapter we examine some of the ethical implications of living with cyberspace. The list is not exhaustive. We have chosen examples that indicate the range and depth of the ethical challenges confronting us. We look at the impact of cyberspace, present and potential, on business and the world of work; our understanding of property and ownership; our notions of justice when considering, for instance, responsibility for the content of material carried on the Internet; those excluded from access to cyberspace; privacy and the implications for freedom, security and protection of the individual; cryptography and the ability of individuals, groups and the State to keep secrets and tell lies; the integrity of physical beings and the invasion of the computer into our bodies.
How does cyberspace influence the things that matter to us in our daily lives? What are the implications for the world of business and work? Do new questions of responsibility and justice arise? Do cyberspace technologies mean that more people can get hold of our personal details; indeed, are personal details things which can be owned by others, and if so by whom? Beyond these concerns of justice, privacy and so forth, which we see being raised anew by cyberspace, there are questions about the intimacy of our human involvement with cyberspace; for we are increasingly living and relating to one another in cyberspace, and there is even a small but significant trend towards computer implants which might be linked to the Internet.