Are Tech Companies Becoming Unofficial Intelligence Agents

     This article is very interesting to me because it has to do with something that millions of people around the world use every day. The Government and Facebook are the two main players in this case. Many people do not think it is ethical that the United States Government (CIA) is funding a massive online surveillance run by the CIA. The author in the article states that this program is known as “Facebook-dreamed up by secret CIA agent Mark Zuckerberg”. The government is funding this new project to increase its intelligence for our safety and security from threats from home and abroad. However, many people think this is an unethical stunt because of privacy issues and concerns. Specifically, many privacy and civil liberty advocates are greatly concerned. These advocates are concerned and worried because they think that technology companies are being turned into unofficial intelligence agents. The evidence in the article states that these advocates also think it unethical because with this increase of regulatory, law enforcement is turning to them for access to our electronic and local communication data.

This is a joke that makes light on 
how much information
technology companies (like Facebook)
really have on us.

     Under the principals of ethical leadership, I think the government (CIA) has a duty to serve others (the American people). They are acting under the Patriot Act because they have a duty to help other pursue their own interests and goals. America will be safer because of the government’s actions. Under the “serves others” principal within the principals of ethical leadership, it states that leaders have an ethical responsibility to make decisions that are beneficial to their follower’s welfare. In this case, the government is fulfilling its ethical responsibility to the American people by making the decision to start and fund a massive surveillance program.

     In this case, the government (CIA), under the teleological theory, is using a “Utilitarianism” approach to make its decision regarding moral conduct. Under the “Utilitarianism” approach it states that leaders lead this way to create the greatest good for the greatest number. In this case, the government (leader) is distributing its resources (intelligence and money) in order to maximize the benefit to everyone (safety and wellbeing of the American citizens), while hurting the fewest (some people’s privacy).

     In this case, the Government is also acting as a servant leader. Under Greenleaf’s perspective of servant leadership, it states that leaders take care of and nurture followers. That is exactly the government’s intention when they are starting to fund a massive research surveillance program. The government (leader) are being attentive to the concerns of their followers (the American citizens). In class I learned that a servant leader has the social responsibility to be concerned with “have-nots” in the organization. In this case, the government (CIA) has a social responsibility to be concerned with the American people.

     All in all, I think the United States government is doing the right thing funding this new research for the CIA. They (the leader) are doing in in the interests of us (their followers). The three main topics that are relevant in this case are: the serves other principal, utilitarianism, and servant leadership. The main reason they are doing this is because they (the government) has a very high concern for the interests of others (the American people).

     Please voice your opinions on this issue. Do you think the Government is acting ethical? Or do you agree with the privacy advocates and think that they should not use third party social networking sites to gather intelligence?

I recommend you read the full, very interesting Forbes article: by clicking here:  Click Here: "Are Tech Companies Becoming Unofficial Intelligence Agents

--Michael Cosentino