Code of Ethics

ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

Adopted by ACM Council 10/16/92.
Preamble
Contents & Guidelines
Preamble
Commitment to ethical professional conduct is expected of every member (voting members, associate
members, and student members) of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
This Code, consisting of 2 imperatives formulated as statements of personal responsibility, identi!es the
elements of such a commitment. "t contains many, but not all, issues professionals are li#ely to
face.$ection % outlines fundamental ethical considerations, &hile $ection 2 addresses additional, more
speci!c considerations of professional conduct. $tatements in $ection ' pertain more speci!cally to
individuals &ho have a leadership role, &hether in the &or#place or in a volunteer capacity such as &ith
organi(ations li#e ACM. )rinciples involving compliance &ith this Code are given in $ection .
The Code shall be supplemented by a set of *uidelines, &hich provide explanation to assist members in
dealing &ith the various issues contained in the Code. "t is expected that the *uidelines &ill be changed
more fre+uently than the Code.
The Code and its supplemented *uidelines are intended to serve as a basis for ethical decision ma#ing in
the conduct of professional &or#. $econdarily, they may serve as a basis for ,udging the merit of a formal
complaint pertaining to violation of professional ethical standards.
"t should be noted that although computing is not mentioned in the imperatives of $ection %, the Code is
concerned &ith ho& these fundamental imperatives apply to one-s conduct as a computing professional.
These imperatives are expressed in a general form to emphasi(e that ethical principles &hich apply to
computer ethics are derived from more general ethical principles.
"t is understood that some &ords and phrases in a code of ethics are sub,ect to varying interpretations, and
that any ethical principle may con.ict &ith other ethical principles in speci!c situations. /uestions related
to ethical con.icts can best be ans&ered by thoughtful consideration of fundamental principles, rather
than reliance on detailed regulations.
Contents & Guidelines
%. General Moral Imperatives.
2. More Specifc Professional Responsibilities.
'. r!ani"ational #eadership Imperatives.
. Compliance $ith the Code.
0. Ac%no$led!ments.
&. GE'ERA# MRA# IMPERA(I)ES.
As an ACM member I will ....
&.& Contribute to societ* and human $ell+bein!.
%
This principle concerning the +uality of life of all people a1rms an obligation to protect fundamental
human rights and to respect the diversity of all cultures. An essential aim of computing professionals is to
minimi(e negative conse+uences of computing systems, including threats to health and safety. 2hen
designing or implementing systems, computing professionals must attempt to ensure that the products of
their e3orts &ill be used in socially responsible &ays, &ill meet social needs, and &ill avoid harmful e3ects
to health and &elfare.
"n addition to a safe social environment, human &ell4being includes a safe natural environment. Therefore,
computing professionals &ho design and develop systems must be alert to, and ma#e others a&are of, any
potential damage to the local or global environment.
&., Avoid harm to others.
56arm5 means in,ury or negative conse+uences, such as undesirable loss of information, loss of property,
property damage, or un&anted environmental impacts. This principle prohibits use of computing
technology in &ays that result in harm to any of the follo&ing7 users, the general public, employees,
employers. 6armful actions include intentional destruction or modi!cation of !les and programs leading to
serious loss of resources or unnecessary expenditure of human resources such as the time and e3ort
re+uired to purge systems of 5computer viruses.5
2ell4intended actions, including those that accomplish assigned duties, may lead to harm unexpectedly. "n
such an event the responsible person or persons are obligated to undo or mitigate the negative
conse+uences as much as possible. 8ne &ay to avoid unintentional harm is to carefully consider potential
impacts on all those a3ected by decisions made during design and implementation.
To minimi(e the possibility of indirectly harming others, computing professionals must minimi(e
malfunctions by follo&ing generally accepted standards for system design and testing. 9urthermore, it is
often necessary to assess the social conse+uences of systems to pro,ect the li#elihood of any serious harm
to others. "f system features are misrepresented to users, co&or#ers, or supervisors, the individual
computing professional is responsible for any resulting in,ury.
"n the &or# environment the computing professional has the additional obligation to report any signs of
system dangers that might result in serious personal or social damage. "f one-s superiors do not act to
curtail or mitigate such dangers, it may be necessary to 5blo& the &histle5 to help correct the problem or
reduce the ris#. 6o&ever, capricious or misguided reporting of violations can, itself, be harmful. :efore
reporting violations, all relevant aspects of the incident must be thoroughly assessed. "n particular, the
assessment of ris# and responsibility must be credible. "t is suggested that advice be sought from other
computing professionals. $ee principle 2.0 regarding thorough evaluations.
&.- .e honest and trust$orth*.
6onesty is an essential component of trust. 2ithout trust an organi(ation cannot function e3ectively. The
honest computing professional &ill not ma#e deliberately false or deceptive claims about a system or
system design, but &ill instead provide full disclosure of all pertinent system limitations and problems.
A computer professional has a duty to be honest about his or her o&n +uali!cations, and about any
circumstances that might lead to con.icts of interest.
Membership in volunteer organi(ations such as ACM may at times place individuals in situations &here
their statements or actions could be interpreted as carrying the 5&eight5 of a larger group of professionals.
An ACM member &ill exercise care to not misrepresent ACM or positions and policies of ACM or any ACM
units.
&./ .e fair and ta%e action not to discriminate.
2
The values of e+uality, tolerance, respect for others, and the principles of e+ual ,ustice govern this
imperative. ;iscrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, age, disability, national origin, or other such
factors is an explicit violation of ACM policy and &ill not be tolerated.
"ne+uities bet&een di3erent groups of people may result from the use or misuse of information and
technology. "n a fair society,all individuals &ould have e+ual opportunity to participate in, or bene!t from,
the use of computer resources regardless of race, sex, religion, age, disability, national origin or other such
similar factors. 6o&ever, these ideals do not ,ustify unauthori(ed use of computer resources nor do they
provide an ade+uate basis for violation of any other ethical imperatives of this code.
&.0 1onor propert* ri!hts includin! cop*ri!hts and patent.
<iolation of copyrights, patents, trade secrets and the terms of license agreements is prohibited by la& in
most circumstances. =ven &hen soft&are is not so protected, such violations are contrary to professional
behavior. Copies of soft&are should be made only &ith proper authori(ation. >nauthori(ed duplication of
materials must not be condoned.
&.2 Give proper credit for intellectual propert*.
Computing professionals are obligated to protect the integrity of intellectual property. $peci!cally, one
must not ta#e credit for other-s ideas or &or#, even in cases &here the &or# has not been explicitly
protected by copyright, patent, etc.
&.3 Respect the privac* of others.
Computing and communication technology enables the collection and exchange of personal information on
a scale unprecedented in the history of civili(ation. Thus there is increased potential for violating the
privacy of individuals and groups. "t is the responsibility of professionals to maintain the privacy and
integrity of data describing individuals. This includes ta#ing precautions to ensure the accuracy of data, as
&ell as protecting it from unauthori(ed access or accidental disclosure to inappropriate individuals.
9urthermore, procedures must be established to allo& individuals to revie& their records and correct
inaccuracies.
This imperative implies that only the necessary amount of personal information be collected in a system,
that retention and disposal periods for that information be clearly de!ned and enforced, and that personal
information gathered for a speci!c purpose not be used for other purposes &ithout consent of the
individual(s). These principles apply to electronic communications, including electronic mail, and prohibit
procedures that capture or monitor electronic user data, including messages,&ithout the permission of
users or bona !de authori(ation related to system operation and maintenance. >ser data observed during
the normal duties of system operation and maintenance must be treated &ith strictest con!dentiality,
except in cases &here it is evidence for the violation of la&, organi(ational regulations, or this Code. "n
these cases, the nature or contents of that information must be disclosed only to proper authorities.
&.4 1onor confdentialit*.
The principle of honesty extends to issues of con!dentiality of information &henever one has made an
explicit promise to honor con!dentiality or, implicitly, &hen private information not directly related to the
performance of one-s duties becomes available. The ethical concern is to respect all obligations of
con!dentiality to employers, clients, and users unless discharged from such obligations by re+uirements of
the la& or other principles of this Code.
,. MRE SPECI5IC PR5ESSI'A# RESP'SI.I#I(IES.
As an ACM computing professional I will ....
,.& Strive to achieve the hi!hest 6ualit*7 e8ectiveness and di!nit* in both the process and
products of professional $or%.
'
=xcellence is perhaps the most important obligation of a professional. The computing professional must
strive to achieve +uality and to be cogni(ant of the serious negative conse+uences that may result from
poor +uality in a system.
,., Ac6uire and maintain professional competence.
=xcellence depends on individuals &ho ta#e responsibility for ac+uiring and maintaining professional
competence. A professional must participate in setting standards for appropriate levels of competence,
and strive to achieve those standards. >pgrading technical #no&ledge and competence can be achieved in
several &ays7doing independent study? attending seminars, conferences, or courses? and being involved in
professional organi(ations.
,.- 9no$ and respect e:istin! la$s pertainin! to professional $or%.
ACM members must obey existing local, state,province, national, and international la&s unless there is a
compelling ethical basis not to do so. )olicies and procedures of the organi(ations in &hich one participates
must also be obeyed. :ut compliance must be balanced &ith the recognition that sometimes existing la&s
and rules may be immoral or inappropriate and, therefore, must be challenged. <iolation of a la& or
regulation may be ethical &hen that la& or rule has inade+uate moral basis or &hen it con.icts &ith
another la& ,udged to be more important. "f one decides to violate a la& or rule because it is vie&ed as
unethical, or for any other reason, one must fully accept responsibility for one-s actions and for the
conse+uences.
,./ Accept and provide appropriate professional revie$.
/uality professional &or#, especially in the computing profession, depends on professional revie&ing and
criti+uing. 2henever appropriate, individual members should see# and utili(e peer revie& as &ell as
provide critical revie& of the &or# of others.
,.0 Give comprehensive and thorou!h evaluations of computer s*stems and their impacts7
includin! anal*sis of possible ris%s.
Computer professionals must strive to be perceptive, thorough, and ob,ective &hen evaluating,
recommending, and presenting system descriptions and alternatives. Computer professionals are in a
position of special trust, and therefore have a special responsibility to provide ob,ective, credible
evaluations to employers, clients, users, and the public. 2hen providing evaluations the professional must
also identify any relevant con.icts of interest, as stated in imperative %.'.
As noted in the discussion of principle %.2 on avoiding harm, any signs of danger from systems must be
reported to those &ho have opportunity and@or responsibility to resolve them. $ee the guidelines for
imperative %.2 for more details concerning harm,including the reporting of professional violations.
,.2 1onor contracts7 a!reements7 and assi!ned responsibilities.
6onoring one-s commitments is a matter of integrity and honesty. 9or the computer professional this
includes ensuring that system elements perform as intended. Also, &hen one contracts for &or# &ith
another party, one has an obligation to #eep that party properly informed about progress to&ard
completing that &or#.
A computing professional has a responsibility to re+uest a change in any assignment that he or she feels
cannot be completed as de!ned. 8nly after serious consideration and &ith full disclosure of ris#s and
concerns to the employer or client, should one accept the assignment. The ma,or underlying principle here
is the obligation to accept personal accountability for professional &or#. 8n some occasions other ethical
principles may ta#e greater priority.
A ,udgment that a speci!c assignment should not be performed may not be accepted. 6aving clearly
identi!ed one-s concerns and reasons for that ,udgment, but failing to procure a change in that

assignment, one may yet be obligated, by contract or by la&, to proceed as directed. The computing
professional-s ethical ,udgment should be the !nal guide in deciding &hether or not to proceed. Aegardless
of the decision, one must accept the responsibility for the conse+uences.
6o&ever, performing assignments 5against one-s o&n ,udgment5 does not relieve the professional of
responsibility for any negative conse+uences.
,.3 Improve public understandin! of computin! and its conse6uences.
Computing professionals have a responsibility to share technical #no&ledge &ith the public by encouraging
understanding of computing, including the impacts of computer systems and their limitations. This
imperative implies an obligation to counter any false vie&s related to computing.
,.4 Access computin! and communication resources onl* $hen authori"ed to do so.
Theft or destruction of tangible and electronic property is prohibited by imperative %.2 4 5Avoid harm to
others.5 Trespassing and unauthori(ed use of a computer or communication system is addressed by this
imperative. Trespassing includes accessing communication net&or#s and computer systems, or accounts
and@or !les associated &ith those systems, &ithout explicit authori(ation to do so. "ndividuals and
organi(ations have the right to restrict access to their systems so long as they do not violate the
discrimination principle (see %.). Bo one should enter or use another-s computer system, soft&are, or data
!les &ithout permission. 8ne must al&ays have appropriate approval before using system resources,
including communication ports, !le space, other system peripherals, and computer time.
-. RGA'I;A(I'A# #EA<ERS1IP IMPERA(I)ES.
As an ACM member and an organiational leader! I will ....
.AC9GR='< '(E7This section dra&s extensively from the draft "9") Code of =thics,especially its
sections on organi(ational ethics and international concerns. The ethical obligations of organi(ations tend
to be neglected in most codes of professional conduct, perhaps because these codes are &ritten from the
perspective of the individual member. This dilemma is addressed by stating these imperatives from the
perspective of the organi(ational leader. "n this context5leader5 is vie&ed as any organi(ational member
&ho has leadership or educational responsibilities. These imperatives generally may apply to organi(ations
as &ell as their leaders. "n this context5organi(ations5 are corporations, government agencies,and other
5employers,5 as &ell as volunteer professional organi(ations.
-.& Articulate social responsibilities of members of an or!ani"ational unit and encoura!e full
acceptance of those responsibilities.
:ecause organi(ations of all #inds have impacts on the public, they must accept responsibilities to society.
8rgani(ational procedures and attitudes oriented to&ard +uality and the &elfare of society &ill reduce
harm to members of the public, thereby serving public interest and ful!lling social responsibility.
Therefore,organi(ational leaders must encourage full participation in meeting social responsibilities as &ell
as +uality performance.
-., Mana!e personnel and resources to desi!n and build information s*stems that enhance
the 6ualit* of $or%in! life.
8rgani(ational leaders are responsible for ensuring that computer systems enhance, not degrade, the
+uality of &or#ing life. 2hen implementing a computer system, organi(ations must consider the personal
and professional development, physical safety, and human dignity of all &or#ers. Appropriate human4
computer ergonomic standards should be considered in system design and in the &or#place.
-.- Ac%no$led!e and support proper and authori"ed uses of an or!ani"ation>s computin! and
communication resources.
0
:ecause computer systems can become tools to harm as &ell as to bene!t an organi(ation, the leadership
has the responsibility to clearly de!ne appropriate and inappropriate uses of organi(ational computing
resources. 2hile the number and scope of such rules should be minimal, they should be fully enforced
&hen established.
-./ Ensure that users and those $ho $ill be a8ected b* a s*stem have their needs clearl*
articulated durin! the assessment and desi!n of re6uirements? later the s*stem must be
validated to meet re6uirements.
Current system users, potential users and other persons &hose lives may be a3ected by a system must
have their needs assessed and incorporated in the statement of re+uirements. $ystem validation should
ensure compliance &ith those re+uirements.
-.0 Articulate and support policies that protect the di!nit* of users and others a8ected b* a
computin! s*stem.
;esigning or implementing systems that deliberately or inadvertently demean individuals or groups is
ethically unacceptable. Computer professionals &ho are in decision ma#ing positions should verify that
systems are designed and implemented to protect personal privacy and enhance personal dignity.
-.2 Create opportunities for members of the or!ani"ation to learn the principles and
limitations of computer s*stems.
This complements the imperative on public understanding (2.C). =ducational opportunities are essential to
facilitate optimal participation of all organi(ational members. 8pportunities must be available to all
members to help them improve their #no&ledge and s#ills in computing, including courses that familiari(e
them &ith the conse+uences and limitations of particular types of systems."n particular, professionals must
be made a&are of the dangers of building systems around oversimpli!ed models, the improbability of
anticipating and designing for every possible operating condition, and other issues related to the
complexity of this profession.
/. CMP#IA'CE @I(1 (1E C<E.
As an ACM member I will ....
/.& =phold and promote the principles of this Code.
The future of the computing profession depends on both technical and ethical excellence. Bot only is it
important for ACM computing professionals to adhere to the principles expressed in this Code, each
member should encourage and support adherence by other members.
/., (reat violations of this code as inconsistent $ith membership in the ACM.
Adherence of professionals to a code of ethics is largely a voluntary matter. 6o&ever, if a member does not
follo& this code by engaging in gross misconduct, membership in ACM may be terminated.
This Code and the supplemental *uidelines &ere developed by the Tas# 9orce for the Aevision of the ACM
Code of =thics and )rofessional Conduct7 Aonald =. Anderson, Chair, *erald =ngel, ;onald *otterbarn,
*race C. 6ertlein, Alex 6o3man, :ruce Da&er, ;eborah *. Dohnson, ;oris E. Fidt#e, Doyce Currie Fittle,
;ianne Martin, ;onn :. )ar#er, Dudith A. )errolle, and Aichard $. Aosenberg. The Tas# 9orce &as organi(ed
by ACM@$"*CA$ and funding &as provided by the ACM $"* ;iscretionary 9und. This Code and the
supplemental *uidelines &ere adopted by the ACM Council on 8ctober %G, %HH2.
This Code may be published &ithout permission as long as it is not changed in any &ay and it carries the
copyright notice.
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