Duty and Obligation

MaidSafe’s Position: The company has a duty to provide Privacy, Security, and Freedom to everyone while remaining legally compliant. They cannot hand over user information due to their system design.
Duty vs Legal Obligation: The author uses the example of jaywalking to help someone in danger—duty should override legal obligation in such cases.
Historical Context: References NSA overreach and historical atrocities that occurred when people followed obligations over their duty to humanity.
Conclusion: MaidSafe’s vision aligns with their duty, and they commend Lavabit for prioritizing duty over obligation.

The article discusses the distinction between duty (being honorable and ethical) and obligation (following the law), inspired by a SlashDot comment about Lavabit. The author argues that when laws are stretched beyond morality—whether for tax avoidance or security overreach—duty should take precedence.

Key Points

“You have a duty to be honourable and ethical. You have an obligation to do what is legal. They are not the same things.” — Jane Q Public

MaidSafe’s Position: The company has a duty to provide Privacy, Security, and Freedom to everyone while remaining legally compliant. They cannot hand over user information due to their system design.

Duty vs Legal Obligation: The author uses the example of jaywalking to help someone in danger—duty should override legal obligation in such cases.

Historical Context: References NSA overreach and historical atrocities that occurred when people followed obligations over their duty to humanity.

Conclusion: MaidSafe’s vision aligns with their duty, and they commend Lavabit for prioritizing duty over obligation.