Software Ethics
30 Nov 2017Ethical Issues for the Modern Day Programmer
Many programmers are isolated from the end user experience, so much so that they lose sight of how their code or actions can have lasting affects on others. For example, what if you were to create a software system that could scan all bluetooth devices in a room and track the users as they move throughout the building? What if you found out that your finished product was sold to an oppresive government that used it to Big Brother its people? With the way that code is compartamentally designed today, it is so easy to piece together seemingly harmless or even helpful programs into malicous tools.
One example would be online hacker tutorials. Today, with the open source movement it is so easy to learn almost anything related to programming from your own back porch. For the most part, the open source movement is a wonderful way to decentralize education and open the opportunities to learn for those who might not have had it before. However, there are always a party pooper just waiting to mess up a good thing going. Several hackers have learned the tools to maliciously break into systems from open source information and online chatrooms. Sometimes their actions are minimally harmful. Sometimes it can be border line terrorism.
One example of a home hacker turned terrorist is The Serial Swatter. This story is extremely sad on all accounts. It starts with a teenage boy in Canada who was raised in a troubled home including domestic violence and drug dependancy. This boy found his escape through online gaming and was an active member of an online gaming and streaming platform known as Twitch. This site had a social network element to it where gamers could communicate and get to know eachother as well. It was this network that the teenage Canadian boy used to target women and harass them to illegal limits. The boy used the handle “Obnoxious” and would typically get girls attention by running a DDoS attack on them. And force them to contact him on Skype in order for him to stop.
Eventually, he would gain more information from them through their conversations and then through other websites that they frequented. Once he had enough information to build a dangerous enough portfolio, he would threaten them with the release of their “dox” on open chat rooms. This is a term used to mean their Personal Identifiable Documentation (like birthday, full name, SSN, etc.). Sometimes he would request nude photos, other times, he just wanted them to talk to him. Finally, he would reach a level of physical harassment, where he would call and send multiple pizza orders to their house. The most dangerous tatic he used is what earned him his name though. Obnoxious is known also as The Serial Swatter because on over 40 documented times, he called false alarm SWAT teams to raid the women he was preying on. It didn’t matter if they were living in a dorm, at home visiting family, or even attending high school. If they made him angry enough he would “Swat” them. His wrath spread to more than 90 girls all across the United States.
I’ll save the rest of the spoilers for you to read in the link above. But one must ask themselves, how did this programmer learn to code? How far did his negative actions spread and how much misery did he cause? How many tax dollars were wasted on his harassment tactics? This is why it is soooo important to teach ethics to programmers. Software developing is a very powerful tool, and if used maliciously it can hurt a lot of people. It’s important to know the ethical standards and what the consequences of not upholding them are. This is necessary to maintain the open source system that we have today. Be mindful of the motives of the users, managers, and clients of your design. #peaceLove&Code