Firms should put their IT ethics policy at the heart of any new business strategy, according to a new paper launched today by the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE).

The paper, Ethics in the Provision and Use of IT for Business, helps managers in any function considering using IT for a business initiative.

For IT projects, this may involve additional or specific ethical commitments and values relevant to IT provision. This could mean alternative approaches towards data management; for example, issues around trust, privacy and confidentiality.

Bob Harvey, chair of the BCS Ethics Strategic Panel, says: “There is currently little guidance for businesses on the role played by information systems in meeting their ethical aims. BCS has welcomed this opportunity to work with the IBE and to bridge the ‘technology gap’ in aligning business ethics with business systems.”