GS Paper 4

Context

After it came to light that the source of the Uber Files investigation was Mark McGann a senior lobbyist who worked for Uber, the whistleblower of the 2016 Panama Papers has given his first interview.

The Panama Papers, exposed how the rich and powerful parked and moved their money in and out of global tax havens.

About Whistleblowers:

Whistleblowing refers to calling attention to wrongdoing happening in an organization.

Whistleblowing has to do with ethics because it represents a person’s understanding, at a deep level, that an action his or her organization is taking is harmful—that it interferes with people’s rights or is unfair or detracts from the common good.

Ethical issues with Whistleblowing:

Being disloyal towards organization v/s sharing knowledge of wrongdoing for the benefit of others and moral commitment towards society. He may also gain mistrust of his fellow workers.

The values that are shown by whistleblowers:

• Courage – It takes moral courage to stand against your organization and be ready to lose out on stability in one’s life.
• Self-sacrifice – They work for the public interest at the cost of themselves.
• Duty bound and respecting the law – However, there is a dilemma of breaching the ethics by breaching the contract with the organization as well.

How can government encourage whistle-blowing:

• Create a policy about reporting illegal or unethical practices
  • Formal mechanisms for reporting violations, such as hotlines and mailboxes.
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Read Full Story: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/07/23/whistleblowing/