Global ICT Body Denounces Engineers Responsible For VW Emissions Scandal

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah SINGAPORE, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- A global body for ICT professionalism has denounced the actions of software engineers who designed and implemented the solution which allowed Volkswagen (VW) to distort the results of emissions tests carried out in the US. IP3, the professionalism arm of IFIP, in a statement released at its annual general meeting in Daejeon, South Korea on Thursday, called for technologists and programmers working in the automotive industry to refuse to be associated with unethical software or systems. Acting Chair of IP3, Moira de Roche, said ICT professionals have a clear responsibility to operate ethically and to hold the best interests of consumers at the centre of what they do. "In our world where software runs everything, from the computers and phones to communicate and process information to the cars we drive, consumers must have confidence that these systems are trustworthy and will not harm them," said de Roche. It was reported that the level of nitrogen oxide pollutants generated by VW diesel engines was up to 40 times more than the US standard, suggesting real potential for health issues amongst drivers and commuters. "ICT professionals must operate according to a Code of Ethics and should be willing to challenge or even report any order from management that risks the safety of that organisation's customers or staff. "DieselGate is as much an indictment of the software industry as it is of the VW executives who issued the order for the software to be installed," de Roche said. Co-creator of the Internet Vint Cerf said, "I think with the degree of software that we're surrounded by everywhere, that at some point we may be called to task for failing to do something that protects people's interests and there may be liability, and as soon as that happens I think that some point of accreditation will be inescapable." --BERNAMA