Category: Ethics – threats and hope
The ethics of secret intelligence is a threat. Agencies have obsessive secrecy, hidden agendas, a lack of duty-of-care, a failure of norms and bad introversion. And from that, come other ethical challenges.
This website includes stories and themes that illustrate challenges, and explore ways of improving it.
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Person Lurking – story of AI in intelligence analysis
Person lurking by Zone Sierra. Nervous movement, potential improvised explosive device. The automated intelligence analysis flashed on Tessa’s screen.
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Intelligence agencies – shed the introverted thinking
Intelligence agencies have introverted thinking. They adapt to new threats & technology, but their attitudes are a danger to themselves, the public and peace.
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Intelligence work needs a “duty of care” to the public
Secret intelligence can hurt the innocent. Intelligence workers should have a duty of care to everyone with whom they come into contact.
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Intelligence challenges: hidden agendas in the secret state
Intelligence processes were introduced for the State to gain advantage over its adversaries. But states have hidden agendas, including against their own people.
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Judicial oversight – a 2-page story of illegal intercepts
They arrived without warning in José’s office. A high court judge, a policewoman from Operational Security, and a clear implication of illegal intercepts.
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Wuhan and biological weapons capability – a story
The professor stared at the words Top Secret on the analysis report. She lifted it and read the title: Wuhan Biological Weapons and Covid-19. She shrugged.
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The assassination – a 2-page story of an ethical dilemma
‘Is he actually proposing a kill order? That we should become involved in an assassination?’ The intelligence researcher’s eyes widened.
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Forced confession – a 2-page story of an analyst’s dilema
The forced confession was in stilted Arabic with words that the suspect never used, and the recording from the interview had been replaced by a transcript.
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Presumed guilty – a story of intrusive surveillance
‘She’s a journalist, that makes her guilty,’ the intelligence officer declared. ‘Get me evidence for intrusive surveillance and we’ll find her dirty secrets.’
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A delicate liaison – a 2-page story of fear and bullying
“Francesca will be in danger,” Graziano warned. It wasn’t the role of an intelligence liaison operative to state the obvious but he feared for her.