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Contribution to Book
The Socio-Ethical Considerations Surrounding Government Mandated Location-Based Services during Emergencies: An Australian Case Study
ICT Ethics and Security in the 21st Century: New Developments and Applications (2010)
  • Anas Aloudat, University of Wollongong
  • K. Michael, University of Wollongong
Abstract

The adoption of mobile technologies for emergency management has the capacity to save lives. In Australia in February 2009, the Victorian Bushfires claimed 173 lives, the worst peace-time disaster in the nation’s history. The Australian government responded swiftly to the tragedy by going to tender for mobile applications that could be used during emergencies, such as mobile alerts and location services. These applications have the ability to deliver personalized information direct to the citizen during crises, complementing traditional broadcasting mediums like television and radio. Indeed governments have a responsibility to their citizens to safeguard them against both natural and human-made hazards and today national security has grown to encapsulate such societal and economic securitization. However, some citizens and lobby groups have emphasized that such breakthrough technologies need to be deployed with caution as they are fraught with ethical considerations, including the potential for breaches in privacy, security and trust.

Keywords
  • Emergency,
  • Location Based Services,
  • Emergency Management,
  • Australia,
  • case study,
  • ethics,
  • social implications,
  • IPND,
  • mandate
Disciplines
Publication Date
September 1, 2010
Editor
Marian Quigley
Publisher
IGI Global
Citation Information
Anas Aloudat and K. Michael. "The Socio-Ethical Considerations Surrounding Government Mandated Location-Based Services during Emergencies: An Australian Case Study" Hershey: PAICT Ethics and Security in the 21st Century: New Developments and Applications (2010)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kmichael/194/