Writing 05: Privacy vs Security

The worry about Big Brother and the "surveillance state" isn't just an acceptable reality, it is our reality. In order to see this, you need to look no further than the atrocities occurring in China and Hong Kong. In China, there is an extensive network of monitoring and tracking such that, even if you leave the country, your actions can be still be viewed and recorded at any time. If you ever say something that it out of line with party ideology, even seemingly innocuous satire such as saying that the president of China looks like Winnie the Pooh, you and your family can be "disappeared," sent to re-education camps, or accused of crimes that you didn't commit. You aren't even safe abroad as the Chinese government will threaten whatever family and friends you have that are still living in the country. China of course will say that this is for the purpose of protecting "national sovereignty" from "Western corruption." They will say it's a matter of "national security." However, as can be seen in modern China, this justification for national defense over personal freedom, privacy, and civil rights is ultimately detrimental for the overall populace.

In the fight between privacy and security, I think the government should always ere on the side of privacy. Privacy, once lost, is nearly impossible to ever regain. Especially in the age of cameras and recordings everywhere, privacy is an ever dwindling resource. In a world without privacy, we face judgment at every corner. There is no forgiveness, no expression of unpopular ideas, no "going against the flow."

I think encryption is a key part of maintaining our right to privacy. We should be allowed to communicate without the possibility of outside actors snooping in on our every action. Of course, there is a cost to national security because of this. However, such is the price of maintaining a free and democratic state. Our values as a nation are worth more than simply maintaining security and defense. If we give up our values of free expression and privacy, we have already lost, even if the country survives in name only.

Writing 04: What good is whistleblowing?

In general, I think that whistleblowing is a force for good and is a necessary component of a democracy that values freedom and truth over mere security of the status quo. Whistleblowing exposes the corruptness of large bureaucracies and corporations where complaints through the "official channels" are often dismissed and the reporters often punished without due process. I don't see why a reporter of illegal behavior is often punished more than the actual entity committing the crimes.

Often in cases involving negligent behavior, I find that it's the fault of leadership and management. These are the individuals that are responsible for evaluating the safety and ethical considerations of the creations of their engineers. I think it is wrong to assume that purely technical workers like software engineers should be in charge of the responsibility and usage of their creations. Oftentimes, these engineers are powerless to stop their managers when they present findings that would hurt their company or organization's bottom line. Too often, managers only look at the money and not at the costs to the public in terms of safety and ethics.

I think technical workers are obligated to speak the truth as they know the most about the safety and usage of their creations and face the least amount of corrupting influence caused by concern over profits. I also believe that the truth should be made public, especially in this day and age of "alternative facts" where politicians and corporations can deceive the public without recourse. Even if these entities commit illegal acts, they are more often than not simply slapped with a small fine. Thus, I don't think these organizations have any right to condemn whistleblowers and sue them for their allegations when they already have so much legal protection due to their enormous profits and redirection of blame.

That being said, I don't think that I would have the courage to be a whistleblower if I was presented with some great injustice in my corporation. There is just too much at stake: I could lose my job, my reputation, and possibly my home and family. What does it matter if you're right if you just get punished and have your life destroyed because of it? I think that I would instead pursue a path of internal reform in whatever capacity I could manage.