Whether one wishes to call the threat of revealing harmful information extortion or blackmail, the element of the offense is the threat. Ultimately, the person who is the target of the threat must conduct a risk assessment to determine the level of harm that the threat can potentially have if the payment (whether it be money, goods or service) is not met.
Quote:
Originally posted by inBOIL
why is it then wrong to sell that decision
|
What decision is sold? The decision to tell or not to tell is based solely on obtaining payment. The blackmailer is not selling a decision, rather is selling the
threat of exposure. I get the feeling that inBOIL is confusing (and please correct me if I am wrong.) the selling of information versus the consequence of public knowledge. The immorality is not the possession of the information, rather the threat of exposing that information for personal gain.