Information Ethics and the Value of Information

Abstract

This paper argues that information professionals need an information ethics and proposes a theoretical framework for information ethics. It is argued that an adequate information ethics cannot be based on the claim that "information is valuable." While generally access to information is both subjectively and objectively good, under certain circumstances it is more valuable that persons not have access to information. An information ethics grounded in a theory of the value of "information access states" is proposed.

Keywords: information ethics, access to information, value of information, information professional, Luciano Floridi