Fogg on Ethics

Fogg does a good job of breaking down the various issue involved in online ethics. As I was reading his chapter, my ears perked up at the gym, when CNN Headlines News reported on a controversial website: 4parents.gov, which purports to give parents important information for keeping their kids safe. WaPo reports on it here. There are many layers of ethical concerns surrounding this website (which I could not find today, so perhaps it has been pulled). First, is the fact that it omits life-saving information, and even includes misleading information that some experts say may lead to more risky sexual behavior (such as exaggerating condom failure rates.) Second, is the fact that this is a government website, so it is accountable to the taxpayers. Third, with many experts on the HHS payroll, an outside organization was paid to develop the site; the organization appears to have a hidden agenda on these issues. Clearly, the site is attempting to influence behavior. As Fogg encourages us to ask: Whom do we blame for negative consequences?