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Ethics in the Internet is a statement published by President John Patrick Foley of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications on February 28th, 2002. Its concern is the Internet’s emergence and whether or not it serves proper ethical grounds to the international community. The document itself touches upon many aspects of the Internet, including its emergence as a dominant influence on globalization. It also quotes several of thePontifical Council for Social Communications texts to emphasize its points and the Catholic Church’s overall opinions about new media. The text is structured under four headings: Introduction, About the Internet, Some Areas of Concern, Recommendations and Conclusion.

Introduction
The document begins with a quote from the PCSC titled Communio et Progressio. It elaborates by stating that people around the world are interconnected and asks whether this is helping individuals “be true to their transcendent destiny.” It goes on to say that, in many respects, it does but, like a coin, it has another side, which has the ability to be wrongfully used. It elaborates on the idea that the Internet is not just the latest, but also the most powerful form of media. The document wishes to set out a Catholic view on the Internet because the church provides commitment to the dignity of people and has a “long tradition for moral wisdom.” It emphasizes the idea that there is dependency between the good of the individuals and the good of their communities. Therefore, people must work for the international common good. It then discusses rapid growth of globalization and how new media drives it. While it causes some to grow richer, others become poorer, which creates a bigger gap between the rich and poor. Globalization, as it shifts power from States to transnational corporations, has been forced upon many disadvantaged people. The document emphasizes that the internet can be used for good but “only if it is used in light of clear, sound ethical principles, especially the virtue of solidarity” because it is not just a source of problems but a source of benefits as well.

About the Internet
Under this heading, the document discusses the many features the Internet has. It states that “it is egalitarian, in the sense that anyone with the necessary equipment and modest technical skill can be an active presence in cyberspace, declare his or her message to the world, and demand a hearing.” It can break down isolation or cause it. The document then states how it originated during the Cold War years by creating decentralized computers so that if one breaks, the others will still have the data. Yet, Its decentralization allowed for the interest of radical libertarians to be recognized. There is also a convergence of interest between liberty of cyber expression and commercial activity on a neo-liberal model. It then suggests that the Internet can unite many, but it can also cause conflict between them as groups or individuals. They can be separated by “ideology, politics, possessions, race and ethnicity, intergenerational differences and even religion.” It suggest that the internet has already been used almost as “a weapon of war” and that it would be “painfully ironic” for the Internet to have the power to, not only bring people together, but go back to its Cold War origins and cause international conflict.

Some Areas of Concern
In this section of the document, a number of concerns with regards to the newly developed technology of the Internet are explicitly raised and confronted. Although the Internet, in its ability to provide an immense source of resources, comprehensive information, and essential services1, holds potential for the betterment of society, the PCSC raise concern of the harmful potential of a "digital divide". That is, that the new technology will not be equally accessible to all the individuals, groups, or nations of the globe. The harm here is that the Internet will become yet another "source of inequity and discrimination" if only an elite category of people are able to use it, while less advantaged groups in society are left behind. Furthermore, the document suggests that the internet emits a dominating western, secular culture. This is harmful as it would obstruct the intercultural dialogue required for cultural sensitivity and the development of respect for other people's values and beliefs. Freedom of expression, the integrity of the information and ideas shared and exchanged over cyberspace, and a digital divide are all matters which have potential harm towards "the authentic community, the common good, and solidarity."

Recommendations and Conclusions
In the fourth and final section of Ethics in Internet, the Pontifical Council develops recommendations for dealing with the potential harms outlined in the previous section, and draws conclusions to the issue of the internet. Essentially, the PCSC conclude that all users of the internet have an accountability and responsibility to use it "in an informed, disciplined way, for morally god purposes." Also, those who have a direct influence on the construct and content of the internet hold an accountability and responsibility to maintain what is beneficial for the common good. To practice and enhance international solidarity, there needs to be an international consensus on a criteria of acceptable use of the internet as well as an international push to limit the "digital gap" between first and third world societies. Just as society maintains regulations on criminal behavior, the PCSC recommends that the internet be no different. Criminal behavior in cyberspace should be subject to the same consequences of criminal behavior in any other context.

Main Themes
In developing Ethics in Internet, The Pontifical Council for Social Communications essentially emphasizes several themes that run consistently through each section of the document. The first is the importance of outlining a Catholic view on the new media technology and utilizing it in a means consistent with Catholic social teaching and social justice. That is, the newly developed technology holds a responsibility of maintaining the inherent dignity of human beings and should enhance humanity's social nature rather than detract from it. . Second, the inherent potential of the internet to promote and enhance globalization, but only if it is used for the purposes of the common good of all people, not just a classified or privileged group. Finally, the PCSC come back again and again to the importance of solidarity with regards to the newly developed technology. There needs to be a moral and ethical criteria of the use and development of the internet that will allow the technology to be a vehicle for international solidarity.