Practice Ethics of Computing in CS Thinking
Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.
Quick Recap
The study of moral issues and responsibilities that arise from the development and use of computing technology. Computing ethics examines questions of fairness, bias, privacy, intellectual property, environmental impact, and the societal consequences of automation and artificial intelligence.
Just because we can build something doesn't mean we should. Ethics asks: Is this fair? Who benefits? Who might be harmed?
Showing a random 20 of 50 problems.
Example 1
challengeA company faces a choice: spend more to make its AI's decisions explainable, or ship a more accurate but opaque 'black box' for high-stakes denials. Argue which serves ethics better and why accuracy alone is insufficient.
Example 2
mediumWhy is 'we did nothing illegal' an insufficient defense when a recommendation algorithm pushes harmful content to teens?
Example 3
hardA company offers a free service that aggregates and resells user location data. Users 'agreed' via a 40-page terms-of-service document. Is the consent ethically meaningful? Argue both sides and conclude.
Example 4
easyWhich of the following is the BEST example of acting ethically as a developer? (A) Push a feature live before testing because deadlines are tight. (B) Write tests for accessibility before launch. (C) Ignore a user's bug report because only one person hit it.
Example 5
hardYou discover your employer is secretly using a customer-facing app to track users' location even after they revoke permission. Internal complaints are ignored. Walk through an ethical decision process for whether (and how) to blow the whistle.
Example 6
easyA website tracks every click a user makes and sells that data to advertisers without telling the user. Which ethical principle is most clearly violated?
Example 7
mediumA team rushes a medical-diagnosis AI to market without testing it on diverse patients. Name the ethical risk and the responsible step skipped.
Example 8
mediumAutomation will eliminate some jobs while creating others. Which ethics-of-computing concern is this, and one responsible response?
Example 9
mediumA game charges children real money for randomised in-game item drops ('loot boxes'). Why is this ethically contested, and what is the closest real-world analogue?
Example 10
easyTrue or false: deleting your account always removes all your data from a company's servers.
Example 11
hardYou are an engineer at a defence contractor asked to build a fully autonomous targeting system that selects and engages human targets without human approval. Outline the ethical case against accepting the task and the case for, then state your decision and reasoning.
Example 12
easyA platform's algorithm spreads false but engaging news fast. Which ethics concern does this raise?
Example 13
challengeAn AI hiring tool is accurate and legal but perpetuates historical underrepresentation. A manager says 'it just reflects reality'. Explain why this reasoning is ethically flawed and one corrective action.
Example 14
easyUsing copyrighted code in your own product without permission or a compatible licence is called software ______.
Example 15
challengeA platform can maximize engagement by showing increasingly extreme content, which boosts profit but harms users and society. Frame the core ethical tension and explain why 'users chose to click' does not resolve it.
Example 16
easyWho shares ethical responsibility for how a computing system affects people?
Example 17
mediumA free coding tool is widely used in wealthy schools but rarely in under-resourced ones lacking devices and internet. Which ethics concern is this, and one responsible response?
Example 18
easyThe principle that you should only collect the data strictly required for the task at hand is called data ______.
Example 19
mediumA city installs a city-wide network of surveillance cameras with facial recognition. Sketch one benefit, one harm, and one design constraint that would make the system more ethical.
Example 20
easyAn app's 'Reject all cookies' button is hidden three menus deep while 'Accept all' is a giant green button on the first screen. This UX pattern is called a: