Let us suppose that you are employed by a company that develops websites for clients. One day your boss presents you with a new project. In brief, your company has obtained a contract from a law enforcement agency to develop several websites. These are to act in line with the ‘honeypot’ scenario mentioned in the previous chapter. The project being undertaken by the law enforcement agency is to gather information in relation to individuals who may be ‘interested’ in extreme forms of violence. By developing this website you will be assisting the law enforcement agencies who will gather material in relation to people who peruse the site.
What is your ethical position?
In this kind of case, we think we must pursue developing the project, not only because we ought to, but also because we believe that doing so is an ethical and legal act (being supported by governing laws of the land). Helping the law enforcement through having their website realized would be big contribution not only for the good of the agency itself but for the good of the public. And although it might be viewed as against the privacy of the users, it can be a good measure to help protect and prevent future compromisation and destruction of important information and other matters. Cyber criminals are increasing in number every day, if the enforcement agency wouldn’t make any actions, further damage of private or public information might cause destructions to more people and properties.
Do you think this is an appropriate agenda in terms of invisibly policing the internet?
Yes, we think it is an appropriate agenda since it could be of great help ensuring and protecting information and properties against criminals by detaining them and preventing them take any further offence.
Since your boss has presented you with this brief, in the case that you do not agree with the ramifications of policing the internet in this way, do you have any political alternative but to undertake the work?
If in the case we do not agree with the ramification of the policing the internet, we would tell our boss that pursuing the development of the project might make our company be under some problems and conflicts. Since the project interacts with sensitive and serious criminal issues, it might be very difficult for our company to handle any cases and issues that might be filed against the company or on the agency.
(Here we assume that your boss is insistent that the work should be carried out by you.) What – if any – real objections do you have?
Since we are into the development of the project, we could not think of any real objections. But, if we will consider the need of a user on internet privacy over sensitive transactions, we might think of proposing specific limitations for the effectiveness of the use of the project, but of course as professionals, any requirements specified by the clients will be carried on .
Do you feel this is encroaching upon the liberty of the individual?
Yes, somehow. However, we think it is for the good of the majority of people. Through this kind of security measure we can help ensure technical advantage and integrity of the internet. Furthermore, the development is in line with the law enforcement, thus we are in the side of the government policies in protecting any further destructions either of the private or of the public interests.
Are your views influenced by the nature of the content of the website?For example, would your views be any different if the website related directly to terrorism or other forms of political extremism?
As professionals, of course we do not have any right to go against the wants and needs of our clients, though we can be able to give advice and proposals for the betterness and effectiveness of the project while considering the fact that our actions are not illegal or we are in line with the law.
To what extent do you think that the internet is currently being policed – not only in terms of monitoring those who enter particular websites or who enter contentious chat room areas or the like?
The internet until now is still not being policed by any authorative body. We believed it is very difficult to policed the internet because of its size and nature. However, there are bodies who help regulate or police the internet to certain aspects. Examples are the laws that govern the internet such as the Computer Misuse Act of 1990
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