We received the following comment from someone nicknaming themselves "Anon" on social media. We have paraphrased it and reprint it here because it makes a strong point: What is the responsibility of the tech professionals (likely private sector) who created the code that the Dutch government did not turn over to the Hague? Can they be compelled, through criminal subpoenas or indictments, to produce the design or to trace forensically whether it was intentionally manipulated by officials? If so, can there be enhanced charges because of the magnitude of the offenses?
COMMENT FROM SOCIAL MEDIA:
“ ‘The Dutch government had refused to provide its risk model to the Hague.’
Simple. Rate it as a ‘terrorist attack.’ Eliminate the funding, in completion, for every agency that refuses to hand over the source code [for SyRI], until they [comply]. . . The maker of this SyRI is suspected to be responsible for a ‘terrorist attack’ on the Dutch people, and thus you have to send in an anti-terrorism unit with guns drawn. . . . Have international arrest warrants for everyone involved, including the cleaning lady, and get them top line.
Criminal charges against the COMPANY THAT WROTE THE CODE. [Criminalizing] the politicians is USELESS. They will go down quick. what you want to is to go after the company that wrote this shit, and confiscate their servers.
IF the algorithm was manipulated with criminal intent, or by feeding it false data.... This would be a terrorist attack, and some server rooms should now be taken over by federal troops.
Compare what they did for Pirate Bay, to what they did here. Just send in one guy, have him flex all server racks used for the company, and keep them under investigation. [SEE: Pirate Bay Has Been Raided and Taken Down: Here's What We Know, Wired Magazine (Dec. 9, 2014). https://www.wired.com/2014/12/pirate-bay-raided-taken-down/ ]
As I said, dreaming of doing this right. BUT at least, going after the politicians is a good start. Would be nice to get the company on a stronger charge, like terrorism or on a hate crime charge."
