Just a decade ago, it would have been hard for all but the most
tech-savvy to imagine the extent of cloud computing today. A
complex system of data centers worldwide that store, process,
and deliver information on demand over the internet, the cloud
provides users with resources, applications, and information
that they previously would have stored locally. The cloud—what
some are calling “the factory of the 21st century”—is run by a
network of IT service companies, internet firms, and
telecommunications services providers, and it offers services to
all of us: from banks and retailers to individuals like you and
me. It is both real—requiring traditional inputs such as
electricity—and virtual. Throughout the history of corporate
responsibility, a few megatrends have redefined how we think
about the ethics of business. The outsourcing of manufacturing
to places with low labor costs and lax regulations led to a rise
in consciousness about working conditions at supplier
facilities. The increasing number of people