> That right there tells me that we as "the tech community" are way too okay with this sort of application of the tech. The tech we're all so convinced will "make the world a better place."
This calls for a larger discussion of individual choices of every one of us. It would not be an easy discussion, because things are far from simple, and yet every one of us should actively think, instead of falling into the whataboutism trap and doing nothing.
For example, there are probably thousands of tech people in Russia right now either breaking into Ukrainian systems or writing software for missiles, drones, targeting systems, etc. These systems do not write themselves. Each of those people should ask themselves if this is really what they should be doing. I am certainly asking myself if I want to ever work with people who were complicit in these crimes (and how will I know?).
I know some people who pledged to never work on any military systems. I was close to that point of view, until Russia started dropping bombs on my Ukrainian friends. Now I don't see it quite in the same light anymore.
Similarly, the NSO group is not an amorphous entity, PEOPLE work there and write these exploits. In each case, it is a conscious decision.
My point is that we can't abstract tech from moral choices. There is always right and wrong, there is always the right thing to do. It might not be universally applicable, and there will always be endless discussions on HN ("but what about..."), but each of us can and should think about how our work is applied.
This calls for a larger discussion of individual choices of every one of us. It would not be an easy discussion, because things are far from simple, and yet every one of us should actively think, instead of falling into the whataboutism trap and doing nothing.
For example, there are probably thousands of tech people in Russia right now either breaking into Ukrainian systems or writing software for missiles, drones, targeting systems, etc. These systems do not write themselves. Each of those people should ask themselves if this is really what they should be doing. I am certainly asking myself if I want to ever work with people who were complicit in these crimes (and how will I know?).
I know some people who pledged to never work on any military systems. I was close to that point of view, until Russia started dropping bombs on my Ukrainian friends. Now I don't see it quite in the same light anymore.
Similarly, the NSO group is not an amorphous entity, PEOPLE work there and write these exploits. In each case, it is a conscious decision.
My point is that we can't abstract tech from moral choices. There is always right and wrong, there is always the right thing to do. It might not be universally applicable, and there will always be endless discussions on HN ("but what about..."), but each of us can and should think about how our work is applied.