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Discussion on: If this happens, will you be loyal or ethical?

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sebvercammen profile image
Sébastien Vercammen • Edited

Almost all organisations, including governmental bodies, have privacy leaks in some form.

  • An application (how it stores/shows info and who it shows it to)
  • Bad company practices (companies processing personal data without legitimate interest)
  • Because of employees (ultimately, people will always be a weak link).

There are also companies with transparent policies that say all the right words, but with internal processes and applications that don't match their empty promises.

Here's why I feel that most will choose loyalty over whistleblowing (though I would call it self-preservation instead of loyalty):

  • The position of authority of bosses/companies
  • How devastating a sudden job loss can be for anyone with responsibilities (especially families)
  • The fear of your whistleblowing becoming a black mark on your future employability or treatment (e.g. Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden)

After all, it's still ethical to care for yourself first before trying to take care of others.

Your real questions are in your comment about your "crazy idea" app: Would it be useful? Should you make it? Would we use it?

Whistleblowing is already a thing, but uncommon. Glassdoor is a company review website that allows honesty (though still very different).

More opportunities for whistleblowing = good, and I believe people would use it.

But someone will eventually try to hold you personally responsible, with reasonable success (see Julian Assange & Wikileaks), for the data you process, the information you get & publish, damages caused, anonymity of sources, validating your information, ...

So the answer to your question is: Are you an activist, or are you something else?

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sarthology profile image
Sarthak Sharma

Well, I want it to be an open source application. Build and ran by developers community. I want to be just a maker helping who wants to make some change in their company or society.