Chapter 5: Regulating Internet Content

Ethical Dilemma

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 people who peruse the site.

What is your ethical position?

• From the first place, 'honeypot' is not good since it is an act of gathering a person's information without the owners permission. It is relatively deals with threats in an unusual way since it serves as flexible tools to collect information on how an attack affects the network.

Do you think this is an appropriate agenda in terms of invisibly policing the internet?

• Yes since they can invisibly gather information without hurting other people.

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 practical alternative but to undertake the work?

• There is no other options but to do the task and do it in a right way.

Are your views influenced by the nature of the content of the websites? For example, would your views be any different if the websites related directly to terrorism or other forms of political extremism?

• The appearance of certain websites play an important role in the views and opinions of the viewers. It generates influence by nature since the content seem to be believable. In cases like website appears to be factual and genuine on its content, there is a big possibility that it will affect our opinions as viewers.

To what extent do you think that the internet is currently policed-not only in terms of monitoring those who enter particular websites or who enter contentious chat rooms areas or the like?

• The internet is said to be policed if it imposes restrictions on allowing users, particularly younger people,  to visit un-appropriate sites like pornography.