Case Study: The Volkswagen Emissions Scandal

In 2015, it was discovered that Volkswagen (VW) had installed software in some of their diesel-powered vehicles that would cheat emissions tests. The software would detect when the car was being tested and would alter the engine performance to produce lower emissions. However, when the car was on the road, it would produce emissions that were up to 40 times higher than the legal limit.

Software Context

In 2015, it was discovered that Volkswagen (VW) had installed software in some of their diesel-powered vehicles that would cheat emissions tests. The software would detect when the car was being tested and would alter the engine performance to produce lower emissions. However, when the car was on the road, it would produce emissions that were up to 40 times higher than the legal limit.

• The cheating was in the software installed in a car
• Software Engineers wrote and installed the software
• As software gets into more and more devices and places in our lives, the software is under the rules and culture of that device and place
• The vehicle may have violated the rules, but it was the software that allowed it to do so

Problem

Identify which principle(s) and subparts of the IEEE Code of Ethics were violated in the Volkswagen emissions scandal

Principle 1: PUBLIC

VW did not act consistently with the public interest. By cheating emissions tests, VW put the health and safety of the public at risk by producing cars that emitted harmful pollutants into the environment.

• 1.01. Accept full responsibility for their own work.
• 1.02. Moderate the interests of the software engineer, the employer, the client and the users with the public good.
• 1.03. Approve software only if they have a well-founded belief that it is safe, meets specifications, passes appropriate tests, and does not diminish quality of life, diminish privacy or harm the environment. The ultimate effect of the work should be to the public good.
• 1.04. (More Broadly) Disclose to appropriate persons or authorities any actual or potential danger to the user, the public, or the environment, that they reasonably believe to be associated with software or related documents.

Principle 2: CLIENT AND EMPLOYER

VW did not act in a manner that was consistent with the best interests of their clients and employers. VW misled their clients (car buyers) and employers (VW executives and shareholders) by cheating emissions tests and producing cars that were not as environmentally friendly as advertised.

• 2.02. Not knowingly use software that is obtained or retained either illegally or unethically.
• 2.06. Identify, document, collect evidence and report to the client or the employer promptly if, in their opinion, a project is likely to fail, to prove too expensive, to violate intellectual property law, or otherwise to be problematic.

Principle 3: PRODUCT

VW did not ensure that their products were of high quality and met professional standards. VW produced cars that were not in compliance with emissions regulations and did not meet professional standards for environmental responsibility.

• 3.02. Ensure proper and achievable goals and objectives for any project on which they work or propose.
• 3.03. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.

Principle 4: JUDGMENT

VW did not maintain integrity and independence in their professional judgment. VW made a conscious decision to cheat emissions tests in order to gain a competitive advantage over other car manufacturers, which compromised their professional integrity and independence.

• 4.02 Only endorse documents either prepared under their supervision or within their areas of competence and with which they are in agreement.
• 4.03. Maintain professional objectivity with respect to any software or related documents they are asked to evaluate.

Principle 6: PROFESSION

VW did not advance the integrity and reputation of the profession. The VW emissions scandal damaged the reputation of the automotive industry and undermined public trust in the profession of software engineering.

• 6.01. Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
• 6.02. Promote public knowledge of software engineering.
• 6.03. Extend software engineering knowledge by appropriate participation in professional organizations, meetings and publications.
• 6.07. Be accurate in stating the characteristics of software on which they work, avoiding not only false claims but also claims that might reasonably be supposed to be speculative, vacuous, deceptive, misleading, or doubtful.

Conclusion

In 2015, it was discovered that Volkswagen (VW) had installed software in some of their diesel-powered vehicles that would cheat emissions tests. The software would detect when the car was being tested and would alter the engine performance to produce lower emissions. However, when the car was on the road, it would produce emissions that were up to 40 times higher than the legal limit.

• The Volkswagen emissions scandal violated multiple principles of the IEEE Computer Society Software Engineering Code of Ethics and highlights the importance of ethical behavior in software engineering.