Wired and others are reporting that Gov. Sarah Palin’s email was hacked by the group known as “Anonymous.” Wikileaks has posted much of the material here, where you can see screenshots of her email accounts, etc. I have lots of questions such as why they (Wikileaks? Anonymous?) chose to post an email from a Palin supporter where she tells Palin that she is praying that “God’s will be done.” Clearly this is illegal and unethical, but here is the ethical question of the day:
Should anyone, the media or Wikileaks, be publishing these emails, contact lists, and screen shots? Is it now “public information” and newsworthy or, as in a court, should it be considered “inadmissible” since this information was illegally required? 1And yes, I am aware that even my going and reading the entry at Wikileaks and referring to one of the emails and photo is perhaps ethically questionable as well. Or is it?
Wikileaks reassures us that they have some standards:
Wikileaks may release additional emails should they prove to be of political substance.
What a relief. And the personal picture posted to the site is clearly of her children lobbying the cross-eyed voter. (NB: Sarcasm)
- 1And yes, I am aware that even my going and reading the entry at Wikileaks and referring to one of the emails and photo is perhaps ethically questionable as well. Or is it?
2 thoughts on “Palin’s Email hacked: ethical question of the day”
wiki? standards? that’s shocking in and of itself.
but as to your question- as the victim of hacking i can’t be objective. but i will say, hackers are the lowest form of life. somewhere between mosquito and fly (though that’s probably insulting to flys and mosquitos).
i’m no palin fan (or politician fan for that matter) – but such persons deserve to be arrested, incarcerated, and left to rot in abu ghraib or guantanamo.
Certainly it is unethical. They should have quietly and carefully sifted through the information, pulled something out-of-context so it looked really nasty, and released it to the media two days before the election! Now that would be ethical!