The Computer Ethics Institute (CEI) is a nonprofit research, education, and public policy organization focused on the issues, dilemmas, and challenges of advancing information technology within ethical frameworks. CEI is based in Washington, DC, USA.
CEI's mission is to facilitate the examination and recognition of ethical issues in the development and use of modern information technologies. The output of this discussion provides educational resources and governing rules that have been adopted by many schools, organizations, and corporations around the globe.
CEI's constituency is composed of professionals from the academic, corporate and public policy, information technology and religious communities. In addition, its constituency is multi-disciplined, multi-cultural, cross-generational and international.
CEI was founded in 1985 as the Coalition for Computer Ethics. Founding members came from The Brookings Institution, The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), The Washington Consulting Group and The Washington Technological Consortium. The consortium’s goal was to provide methods to increase an awareness of the ethical ramifications inherent in the use of Information Technology. CEI is one of the first organizations to confront the ethical and public policy issues surrounding the advancement of information technology
This short code of ethics for using computers and information technology is the best-known product of CEI. It is often quoted in college-level textbooks and adopted for practical use. The biblical reference in the title does not imply any religious affiliation: it merely summarizes the importance of the rules compiled. (See main article: Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics.)
The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics