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  • Essay / Wikileaks and the Growing Ethical Issues Surrounding Information Privacy

    The first ethical question about WikiLeaks' activities hinges on whether the individuals involved understand the difference between what they have the right to do and what is right to do. This goes beyond the right to communicate or receive information and involves the question of what a person should do and to what extent they are right to do it. Therefore, when it comes to discussing the ethical dilemma with WikiLeaks, one must weigh the consequences of actions based on their degree of rightness. This requires enough knowledge to know if what is being done is the right thing to do. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original EssayWikiLeaks has helped the public get information on different issues affecting the government and big business. This has improved government accountability and transparency. However, the question remains whether the company is infringing on the rights of governments and citizens. It's very clear that releasing government information to the public affects a lot of things. For example, the publication of “Erdogan emails” is one of several WikiLeaks publications that can be said to provoke ethical dilemmas. The company said such whistleblowing was a form of government corruption that it was rooting out. However, it should be noted that such leaks are irresponsible and unethical as they affect privacy. The link to emails led to the revelation of "massive databases on ordinary people, including a special database on almost all adult women in Turkey", according to Zeynep Tufekci's statements. Information on female voters in around 79 of Türkiye's 81 provinces has been revealed. Such an incident violated the privacy rights of these individuals. For example, information about home addresses, mobile phone numbers and other data was exposed, putting the privacy and security of those affected at risk. Furthermore, the “Erdogan emails” contained sensitive information about AKP members which included personal data and such data would put the lives of the individuals at risk. Therefore, WikiLeaks' function of exposing government data is unethical. This leads to the disclosure of sensitive information to the public, which can also raise other issues such as security. For example, if terrorists obtain specific government data, the government system could become vulnerable and lead to terrorist attacks. Therefore, it is necessary to regulate the organization and limit it to prevent invasion of citizens' privacy and also protect the government from malicious attacks..