Sunday, September 6, 2015

Who is Mr. Robot?

USA network's latest tv series hit goes by the name of Mr. Robot. The show follows the escapades of a mid-twenties cyber security contractor named Elliot, with a myriad of mental illnesses, a drug addiction, and a need to hack into the private lives of every person he might get close to.

Without spoiling anything past the first scene of the first episode, it is clear that intentions behind Elliot's obsessive need to hack those around him aren't quite evil.  He exposes cyber criminals as a hobby, and ensures (a la Ashley Madison) that those close to him are in honest relationships.

While its painfully obvious that the viewer is meant to root for Elliot, we all should question how ethical this cyber vigilantism really could be. Sure, he exposes some of the most violent and disgusting criminals on the planet, but at what cost? Even police wouldn't be able to access the information Elliot obtains without a warrant (a warrant not so easily obtained considering the protagonist finds his targets by snooping WiFi networks for internet traffic he deems curious, a hobby not often found in a police department).

Is this behavior one that should be punishable through the justice system, or is Elliot just a civilian batman - a hero of the people?

(Regardless of your answer to the above, I highly encourage anybody with with a pair of eyes to watch this show. It currently has a near perfect score on rotten tomatoes and is without a doubt the most relevant tv show to the issues facing the present day United States)

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