Now, is it an ethical dilemma if you are asked to write firmware that disables a redundant safety sensor unless the customer pays additional fees? Is it a ethical to use a dataset that you may know is not fully representative for a crime estimation algorithm in order to achieve cost targets for your contract? Is it ethical to write a software that changes device behavior when being examined by regulators? Is it ethical to design an interface for a public service that will be inaccessible to a portion of the population to meet contract deadlines?
>learning what is useful for your employer" is exactly what university is about, is exactly what you pay for, and is exactly what is expected This is a warped viewpoint that assumes you have no agency. I studied engineering because I wanted to learn how it worked and how to build things. Employers be damned, I have no issue working for myself if I cannot find an employer who I can come to terms with.
If you mean to argue that the standing of engineering as a profession has greatly fallen then I agree with you. Especially in software. However, even if there is no license to be revoked, and no personal feeling of responsibility, the engineer who makes these design choices is not shielded from the legal repercussion of his actions no matter how many times his supervisor told him to even assuming he is willing to be responsible. No matter how much you may wish otherwise, engineers are still considered to hold the public trust and expected to behave accordingly. And you should consider it because when you comply with your employer to do something unethical and shit hits the fan, they are going to put you immediately in front of the firing squad to shield themselves from as many bullets as possible just the same as they are going to take the reward for as long as it flies under the radar.