And in one sense this is the right conclusion. We need to get the basics right when we think about business ethics. In another sense, there are new issues that require new applications of basic principles, with some obvious and not so obvious things to consider. The obvious issues that generally come to mind are computer hacking, privacy, access to pornography, and software piracy. Stealing intangible data is usually more serious than stealing pencils.
Privacy issues are more complex.
Information can live for a long time and travel to a great number of places when it exists electronically. It has also been recognized as valuable in recent years, and is being bought and sold in ways few had anticipated. Data mining tools enable the assembly of disparate pieces of information. Even if each is individually innocent, together they may create an invasion of privacy. Pornography is not new.