While business ethics is already a complex and multifaceted aspect of commerce, ethical decision making in a firm that provides a service that many see as fundamentally immoral seems nearly unimaginable. This dilemma is essentially at the core of the Canadian online adultery service, Ashley Madison, whose slogan “Life is Short. Have and Affair.” had only a few months ago dominated headlines. In August of this year, the  hacker group The Impact Team released details of nearly 36 million users to the chagrin of the company and users but to vocal support from the company’s many critics. Yet are these attacks a justifiable act against a morally bankrupt company or an unruly breach of privacy and personal property?

Ashley Madison has received much criticism for promoting infidelity amongst married couples.

According to Dr. Chris MacDonald, from the Business Ethics Blog, The Impact team’s action may not be a totally victimless crime.  The data released may not only be from “lying cheating customers who are getting exposed”, but may be spoofed by people using stolen credit cards or even unmarried users of this site. In this way the hacker’s data release may have unintended consequences. Yet, MacDonald goes even further to say that even the company’s ‘core’ customers don’t deserve the kind of vigilante justice that The Impact team is administering. And while I share in the obvious disapproval members of the hacking group feel, I would agree with MacDonald in that it is not the right of a vigilante group to act as judge and jury for the company.

Ashley Madison CEO, Noel Biderman, has received major criticism for his nonchalant approach to his business.

What this event is also indicative of is the increasing ability for small groups of talented individuals to break into online databases. High profile cases such as the one involving Ashley Madison may embolden other groups without the best interest of the public at heart and that is what concerns me most.

 

References

External Blog: http://businessethicsblog.com/2015/08/22/the-ashley-madison-sleazy-attack-on-a-sleazy-business/#comment-78786

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