Should Jake Embed the Spyware? Jake Markos is a very clever young man. He gradua
ID: 361745 • Letter: S
Question
Should Jake Embed the Spyware?
Jake Markos is a very clever young man. He graduated summa cum laude in computer science from a prestigious west coast institute of technology, and has never encountered a computer-programming task that he could not handle easily. Jake’s problem is that he is unbearably shy. He does not like meeting new people or even looking people in the eye. Though he is attracted to women, he has never felt comfortable talking to them or trying to get to know them better. After graduation, many companies courted him.
He accepted a job as the programmer at ALAC Marketing where he could work mostly on his own. He likes his job because it is challenging enough to be absorbing, and he dreads ever going through the process of finding another one.
Jake’s boss is Nathan Brook. Nathan well understands Jake’s skills and vulnerabilities. One day, the Diabetes Foundation asks ALAC to construct a tool for its website that would survey Diabetes Foundation donors on the directions that the Foundation should take in its support for new research. As part of its corporate social responsibility mandate, ALAC does work for the Diabetes Foundation at cost. ALAC also has a highly profitable contract to market an expensive new drug, Circulex, for a large pharmaceuticals company. Circulex aids blood circulation in the legs, and will be useful to diabetics who have circulation problems in their extremities. Nathan realizes that the Diabetes Foundation donor list includes many well-off people with diabetes, just the sort of potential customers to whom the pharmaceutical company wishes to market Circulex.
The next day, Nathan visits Jake’s workroom in the basement of the ALAC building. He suggests to Jake, purely orally of course, that Jake embed a bit of extra code in the survey tool that Jake is constructing for the Foundation. This code would transfer the email addresses, though not the passwords, of Foundation donors to Jake’s computer.
Nathan’s intent is to use these email addresses to market Circulex. Nathan justifies this idea by pointing out that ALAC’s work for the Diabetes Foundation is non-profit and that the survey tool does not explicitly promise anonymity to the donors who take it. He further suggests that unless Jake complies, Jake will have to look for work elsewhere. Jake is visibly reluctant and upset.
The following day, Nathan sends his assistant manager, Maia Harrick, to see Jake. Maia is about Jake’s age and is both very attractive and very ambitious. After reminding Maia that her performance review is coming up soon, Nathan indicates to Maia that she should get Jake to add the spyware to the survey tool by any means possible.
Maia knows very well how to use her good looks to get what she wants. She pays a lot of attention to Jake, pretends interest in the intricacies of hiding spyware in otherwise legitimate software, and acts as if she is impressed at his skill. On leaving, Maia implies that she will visit Jake often to see how the project is going.
What should Jake do? Will Jake be morally accountable for his decision? (500 words)
Explanation / Answer
Jake should not embed a bit of extra code to the survey tool that is to be designed for the diabetes foundation.This ia an unethical way of encoding a spyware without the knowledge of foundation.The foundation has come to ALAC marketing for help by gaining trust with them.If he encodes a spyware then the trust is broken and it is unethical way of doing business.Nathan thinks that anything can be done to make his company profitable .But it is unethical.If he wants to market the expensive drug then he should think of some other ways of promoting the drugs instead of cheating the diabetes foundation.So jake can suggest some other ideas and convince his manager for not encoding a spyware rather find other way for getting email id's legally.The drug circulex is expensive and its main focus is to target wealthy customers so this becomes a illegal way of gaining profit instead if that drug is cheap and would be affordable by all then the manager can directly inform the foundation about it and do their marketing process for the drug .this would be an ethical way of doing business
If the manager thinks that contract with diabetes foundation is not profitable then he should not have accepted it first or else he can inform the company about their marketing and get legal permission to acceess their customers id.A person should not use others skills and take advantage over that for his own personal needs.Jake should not take up his managers decisions for his personal benefit that his performance would increase because of that.He could even show his work performance elsewhere in growth of the company
Jake should be morally accountable for his decision and should face the consequences for his own decision.If the manager fires him for his decision then he should quit the job and find for other one.Jake is highly skilled person so he can get job in other companies.Eventhough he is a shy person he has to overcome that and search a suitable job for him where he could act legally moral and be satisfied with his work.Only when he comes out and searches for a job he meets various persons and could communicate with them and then could break his shyness and be bold.His decision would also help to mould himself as a person with self confidence and braveness.