Information hazard

An information hazard, or infohazard,[1] is "a risk that arises from the dissemination of (true) information that may cause harm or enable some agent to cause harm," as defined by philosopher Nick Bostrom in 2011, or as defined in the concept of information sensitivity. It is an idea that contradicts the idea of freedom of information as it states that some types of information are too dangerous for every single person to have access to, as they could either be harmed by it or harm others.[2] This is sometimes why information is classified based on its sensitivity. One example would be instructions for creating a thermonuclear weapon.[3] Following these instructions could cause massive amounts of harm to others, therefore limiting who has access to this information is important in preventing harm to others.

  1. ^ Wortmann, Fletcher (28 August 2019). "Infohazard Warning: How Internal Memes Infect Your Brain". Psychology Today. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  2. ^ Bostrom, Nick (2011). "Information Hazards: A Typology of Potential Harms from Knowledge" (PDF). Review of Contemporary Philosophy. 10: 44–79.
  3. ^ Bostrom, Nick. "Information Hazards: A Typology of Potential Harms from Knowledge" (PDF). Review of Contemporary Philosophy. 10: 44–79.

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