iSchool Associate Professor Adam Moore will join the iSchool as full-time faculty this fall and succeed Associate Professor David Hendry as chair of the Ph.D. in Information Science program. Hendry will resume his full-time role as faculty and researcher in the iSchool.
Moore came to the University of Washington in 2003 with a joint appointment in the Department of Philosophy. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from The Ohio State University specializing in ethical theory, philosophy of law, political philosophy, and information ethics (intellectual property, privacy, freedom of speech). Over the past 9 years Moore has taught numerous classes at the iSchool including Information Ethics and Policy (INFO 450), Information and Values (INSC 555), and Information in Social Context (LIS 550).
Moore’s research has generally centered on the ethical, legal, and policy issues that surround intellectual property, privacy, and information control. He became interested in the ethics of how we use information and the tension between privacy and security after 9/11 and the adoption of the Patriot Act.
His four published books have explored topics of intellectual property, free speech, privacy and accountability. Moore’s published articles and presentations have addressed widely discussed topics in the news, including Wikileaks, intellectual property piracy, and the ethics of hacking.
“I believe that being able to critically analyze, with some philosophical sensitivity, different ethical claims and policy decisions is a beneficial skill for students in any iSchool program," said Moore. "Consider the often used ‘nothing to hide’ argument in favor of government surveillance. According to this view if you have nothing to hide, why should you care if some government agent is watching? Only someone who is doing something illegal or immoral would care. First note that if an individual has privacy rights, then it is up to her to decide rules of access and disclosure. Perhaps what is hidden is embarrassing information or behavior not accepted by the majority of society. Also, and this is my favorite response – if the nothing to hide argument is good for me or you, then it should be good for those in government as well. Maybe they should just trust us with total access to their lives...”
In the spring of 2013, Moore organized a major conference entitled “Information Ethics and Policy: Intellectual Property, Privacy, and Freedom of Speech” bringing together many of the top speakers including Nadine Strossen, Eugene Volokh, and Anita Allen. Moore is planning to host further speakers and events at the iSchool.