Public-works researchers argue that sock-puppet accounts are always illegal, so they plan to log in as a named city official to reach private vendor portals instead. What distinction should they apply?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
A sock puppet is a pair of sunglasses for looking at the public street, not a stolen city badge for walking through a locked door. Viewing public pages under a research persona is OPSEC. Pretending to be a city official to reach private data is a different—and out-of-bounds—move.
Full Explanation
PORP sock puppets are an OPSEC control for collecting publicly available information without exposing the researcher's real identity. They are not a license to impersonate a government official or to obtain non-public access. Treating all personas as illegal, then substituting official impersonation, inverts the rule. Isolated lab browsers and unnamed research accounts used only on public sources remain in-scope hygiene, not a crime-by-default.