I think this is a topic worth considering.

Just as every magician is a liar (they lie for their art), where do we draw the line between deception and using methods that cross ethical or legal boundaries?

The first example that comes to mind is a trick I've actually shared myself:

https://magigram.com/es/club/beginners/el-que-fue-mi-primer-gimmick-moneda-de-5cts-doblada-6448/

Countries like the United States and Australia have severe penalties for defacing or damaging currency.

Right off the bat, according to European law (regarding the euro),

"Member States must not prohibit or penalize the complete destruction of small quantities of euro coins or banknotes when it occurs privately. However, they must prohibit the unauthorized destruction of large quantities of euro coins or banknotes.

The penal code doesn't specify any law on this, but it's important to remember that if someone tears or burns a banknote, they're destroying a public asset. Currency is issued by the Bank of Spain, and the paper it's printed on is funded by public money. In other words, as strange as it might seem, the money isn't really *ours*, even if we've earned it.

The European Union classifies as a crime "the counterfeiting or fraudulent alteration of currency in any form." Furthermore, all currency deemed unfit for circulation must be surrendered to the national authority."

Information sourced from ---> https://www.20minutos.es/lainformacion/economia-y-finanzas/-es-ilegal-romper-dinero-los-paises-los-que-esta-considerado-un-delito-5248377/

The point is, taken to its absurd extreme, in a coin trick you could theoretically be accused of damaging a public asset.

It sounds absurd, and it's probably not worth losing sleep over, but there's a legal basis for it to happen.

On the other hand, the law is very specific: "The European Union classifies as a crime "the counterfeiting or fraudulent alteration of currency in any form"....

It doesn't say: "The European Union classifies as a crime "the counterfeiting or fraudulent alteration of currency in any form, unless you're doing magic, in which case it's fine"

This would imply that the "freedom" many magic tricks rely on—like using fake bills to create gimmicks, or even tearing and restoring them—could, absurdly, be considered illegal.

And the same goes for all sorts of gimmicked coins.

Fortunately, how things are used really matters, but even then, it's still a bit of a tightrope walk.

Which brings me to current times: technology.

Obviously, advancements in all fields of science have always been used to help magic evolve and adapt with the times.

But some things can push certain ethical and legal boundaries, such as personal private property.

And while the impact of an effect often relies on the cleverness of the method, that method itself needs to uphold certain ethical and legal values.

For example:

If by some chance you got access to a stranger's phone and could read all their messages, you'd quickly learn a lot about their life.

If you then presented yourself to that person as a psychic or mentalist and started revealing things you'd learned from reading their texts, it's clear they'd believe you possessed some kind of magical power.

As an effect, it would definitely kill, but the method is completely illegal and unethical.

So, where do we draw the line?

I love technology; it's right up my alley. But how far can it be used as a justification for a good effect?

I could talk more about this topic (I'd call it "questionable ways—ethically and legally—to perform magic") but I'll get straight to the point.

There's a device called the flipperzero, which could totally be used to "do magic." Can you imagine opening and closing anyone's car? You could do it. How about opening and closing the gate to any parking garage or any garage door? Yep, that too, and so on and so forth...

For magic, is *anything* fair game?.

I suppose it all comes down to how things are used. On these topics, I'm the first to say everything is relative, and I usually give a very simple example:

We all have knives at home. We use them for multiple purposes, they live in their drawer, we use them, wash them, and they go right back.

Even though some people in society use them for bad things, we don't ban them, because we know that the way they're used determines the difference between legal and illegal.

The reality is, I'm not really here to clarify anything; if anything, I might be muddying the waters even more.

I think technology is amazing, but it can definitely be a double-edged sword.

Obviously, magic is about creating illusions, and the goal is to achieve that sense of wonder in the audience—which, for a magician, is truly their lifeblood.

But I still find myself wondering where the limits are to achieve that.

I'll stop rambling now and leave the topic open in case anyone else wants to chime in or share their thoughts.

All opinions are welcome, especially constructive criticism if it sparks a good debate 😊.

All the best, think about what I've shared, and keep the magic alive!!!