> That'll never work, as long as it's just a personal ethical thing. There's always someone who would rather take the money.
Sure, but "I was just following orders because someone else was gonna" isn't going to win any ethical arguments. The point is the tech worker that implements these things is complicit, whether it's the database system for a list of Muslims or privacy invasion.
Additionally, the sentiment is that tech workers can easily get another job, so "just following orders to pay the rent/mortgage" doesn't hold up either.
To use an extreme example, if my work gave me a gun and tell me to go shoot a particular somebody, I'm going to refuse to do it (and tell the police). I'm sure they could find a murderer-for-hire, but I'm still not gonna be the one to pull the trigger.
Sure, but "I was just following orders because someone else was gonna" isn't going to win any ethical arguments. The point is the tech worker that implements these things is complicit, whether it's the database system for a list of Muslims or privacy invasion.
Additionally, the sentiment is that tech workers can easily get another job, so "just following orders to pay the rent/mortgage" doesn't hold up either.
To use an extreme example, if my work gave me a gun and tell me to go shoot a particular somebody, I'm going to refuse to do it (and tell the police). I'm sure they could find a murderer-for-hire, but I'm still not gonna be the one to pull the trigger.