Well, I'm also taking an Accounting course this semester, as well as an IS class. In my Accounting course, we discussed a case in which a mid-level accountant was imprisoned for making journal entries as directed by her supervisor. Long story short, it all boiled down to SOX, and the company needed someone to blame. But I don't think the blame should lie in the middle. Aren't higher level executives, higher level for a reason? I'm an accountant, but I don't yet know all the ins and outs of SOX or GAAP. Meanwhile, I trust my boss to catch my mistakes. In my wildest dreams, I can't imagine being brought up on charges for an entry he directed me to make. This is what happened to this poor woman...and her boss? No charges.
I see today that in Italy, two Google employees, as well as a former employee, were convicted for non-compliance of the Italian privacy code. The problem began when "students filmed and uploaded a clip of them bullying an Autistic classmate". Google removed the video within hours of being notified by the Italian authorities. "No one at Google had anything to do with that video, aside from taking it down." I simply cannot understand why the students that filmed and uploaded this video were not hunted down and prosecuted instead of Google. The article goes on to say that, basically, if every hoster was required to completely vett every piece of information posted, the Internet would "cease to exist".
Frankly, this is frightening. Why on earth would Google be held responsible? They didn't create or upload the video. They didn't bully the student. They took the video down as soon as they could. What more could they do?
This is akin to putting parents in jail when their kids refuse to go to school. What in the heck is that supposed to accomplish? If I was in jail while my child refused to go to school, I can guarantee you it would be worse for society that he is out cavorting around without supervision than it would be if I was home, encouraging him (dragging him) off to school while remaining, myself, a productive member of society. Reminds me of another clip I saw earlier tonight, that a woman sued her husband's mistress and WON $9 million!!! Great! I hope my husband cheats so instead of holding him accountable, i can sue the woman who "won him over" and rake in the big bucks! It sure beats sitting at a desk all day making journal entries and pounding out a good, honest living.
What is this world coming to? Please God, don't take away the Internet!!!
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=31202&tag=col2;topRated
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think to understand the YouTube case we need to look to Italian Law, which differs much from our own. TO understand the mistress case, well, I don't think we can.
ReplyDelete