Ethics and Cloud Computing

Abstract

While the benefits of cloud computing are widely acknowledged, it raises a range of ethical concerns. The extant cloud computing literature reports specific ethical perspectives on focussed topics in this domain, but does not explicitly refer to a specific ethical conception or reference point. This chapter provides an overview of ethics and ethical theories, which can be used to analyse the use of cloud technology and the complex multi-stakeholder structure of the industry. It is critical that cloud providers and users recognise that they effectively shape the morality of the cloud computing context through their interactions with other providers and users, and with the platform itself. Both stakeholder sets must be accountable for the possibilities offered by the technology. While pertinent regulation is continuously evolving, it is unlikely to advance at a similar rapid pace to that of innovation in the cloud computing industry. It is therefore essential that ethics is carefully considered to orient cloud computing towards the good of society.