The answer seems fairly simple to me. You’re not in any position to decide the risks others assume. If you’re concerned about the potential torture the only mind you can really do anything about is yours—you don’t run around killing everyone else, just yourself.
The question asks if ensuring secure deletion is an example of effective altruism. If I have the power to dramatically alter someone’s future risk profile (say, funding ads enxouraging smoking cessation, even if the person is uninterested in smoking cessation at present), isn’t it my duty as an effective altruist to atrempt to do so?
The answer seems fairly simple to me. You’re not in any position to decide the risks others assume. If you’re concerned about the potential torture the only mind you can really do anything about is yours—you don’t run around killing everyone else, just yourself.
The question asks if ensuring secure deletion is an example of effective altruism. If I have the power to dramatically alter someone’s future risk profile (say, funding ads enxouraging smoking cessation, even if the person is uninterested in smoking cessation at present), isn’t it my duty as an effective altruist to atrempt to do so?