Re: Legal Question about privacy

["Matt D. Harris" <vesper () depraved org>]

Richard Johnson wrote:
> In my opinion, the principles of respect for persons, justice and 
> beneficience all taken together indicate that such research should or 
> must be performed, and the results disseminated, but unknowing and 
> innocent subjects should be anonymized.

	But what about cases where the subject is not innocent, and indeed, 
were this not simply a research project, would be guilty of a felony in 
most countries?
	What of the idea of a honey-pot used solely to prosecute would-be 
evildoers?  In reality, when doing something that one knows to be 
illegal, can they have any expectation of privacy?
	To throw out a physical-world example, what if someone set out a cheap 
automobile disguised as a lexus to catch a neighborhood car thief. 
Would the individual who stole it (and was subsequently caught on 
camera) be able to expect privacy?  What if someone with lots of money 
set out lexus's to study what sorts of people steal cars?  :-)
Certainly, throwing in an illegal act changes the playing field a bit 
when compared with behavioral studies with regards to things like which 
hand someone is more likely to use to pick up a pencil while under heavy 
stress and such other stimulating subjectmatter.
	I'm curious as to what the scientific and research community especially 
has to say on this topic.
-- MDH