i-sako.com

In a follow-up of my earlier post about Microsoft’s power to deny access to information, I thought it only fitting to point to this article at Wired about how Microsoft’s latest “trustworthy computing” efforts will probably have the effect of stamping out the practice of corporate whistleblowing.

On one hand, I find it hard to fault Microsoft for introducing this technology, which will be based on an industry standard (XrML) that any other company could use. In this sense, Microsoft’s behavior is simply consistent with its stated goals of making its operating system more secure—a move that is long overdue. It also makes good business sense for Microsoft to be among the early adopters of this important, new technology.

But, on the other hand, I find it very hypocritical of Microsoft (whose own wrongdoing would have never been made public had this technology been in place) to introduce this technology with little regard for the effect it will have on the ability of the public to uncover corporate wrongdoing. The very company that is asserting corporate rights over the computers of end users (in the form of DRM) is also providing a new right to corporations: The right to never get caught red-handed.

It is possible to see how this new technology, dubbed Windows Rights Management Services, can be both good and bad. On the whole, however, I think it will be bad for the public good.