Is Using a Creepy Link Ethical? A Practical Discussion
Just because you can track everything, doesn't mean you should.
Ethics is about the line between "smart" and "invasive."
As creators of a tool called Creepy Link, we confront this question daily. The name itself is a nod to the discomfort people feel when they realize how transparent the internet actually is.
So, is it ethical to track if someone clicked your link?
The "Read Receipt" Analogy
Consider messaging apps (WhatsApp, iMessage). They all have "Read Receipts" turned on by default or as an option.
Society has generally accepted that knowing if a message was read is a useful feature, not a crime. Creepy links extend this functionality to the open web.
Where It Becomes Unethical
Tracking becomes unethical when it violates the reasonable expectation of privacy.
- Unethical: Sending a link to a friend to see if they are ignoring you. This weaponizes the tool against a personal relationship.
- Unethical: Tracking specific locations to deduce where someone lives (this borders on doxxing/stalking, which is why legitimate tools mask location precision).
Where It Is Ethical
Tracking is ethical when there is a legitimate business interest.
- Ethical: A freelancer checking if a client viewed their invoice.
- Ethical: A salesperson seeing if a prospect read the contract.
The Transparency Test
The easiest way to be ethical is to be transparent.
If you are comfortable telling the recipient, "I'll know when you view this," then your use is ethical. If you feel you must hide the fact that you are tracking them because it would make you look bad, then your intent is likely unethical.