Should Computer Techs Be Mandatory Reporters of Child Porn?
A computer guy explains the danger of proposed legislation that would require computer technicians to report to the authorities any child pornography or other evidence of child abuse they encounter while servicing a customer's computer:
Potentially incriminating material can end up on a computer in any number of ways that have nothing to do with a deliberate request for questionable content. Even worse, the range of expertise among computer technicians varies enough that you could conclusively say that not all such technicians have the skills to distinguish between deliberately accessed content and that which may have found its way onto a system through other means (spam, malware, another user, etc.). It's a recipe for disaster when you consider how being accused of child porn/abuse usually turns into a guilty-until-proven-innocent scenario of the sort that can destroy lives and families.
Teachers, social workers, and health care professionals are typically mandatory reporters of child abuse. But computer technicians?
A hospital's reason for existence is the well-being of people. Where children are potentially victims of abuse, it's practically within a hospital's charter to intervene which is why it's sensible for medical professionals to be a part of that detection system. But the well-being of children is not within the professional charter of computer technicians. And if states are going to obligate computer technicians to join the fight, are they then also prepared to foot the bill to train them and come up with a standard protocol that employers must bear the expense of implementing? For the most part, medical personnel aren't dealing with co-workers either. In other words, with medical professionals, personal agendas are less likely to play a role in the positive identification of a potential child abuser or consumer of child-pornography than within a business where computer techs are primarily dealing with co-workers. I'm not saying the medical "setup" is fault-free. But I am saying the computer technician "setup" is far more ripe for abuse.
| < Johnston Killing Was Preceded By Similar Incident | Paris Hilton Sentenced to 45 Days in Jail > |
