Privacy

Abstract

Fears about loss of privacy in computerized societies have been central to dystopian literature. The issue has also concerned thoughtful computer scientists and lawyers since the 1960s. By then, the scope of the computer revolution was making clear that governments and corporations could keep records about almost every aspect of our lives. As data storage became virtually limitless at trivial cost, effective uses of data grew, as did risks to personal privacy. We shall define privacy, look at its manifestations and roles, and discuss current and future threats to it. We shall introduce concepts that are key to understanding privacy, such as informed consent. A major concern is the threats to information privacy or data privacy, in which a person’s confidential information has errors or becomes exposed to people who should not be able to see or use it. We shall examine situations in which privacy can be invaded by governments, organizations, and individuals. Governments amass vast stores of personal data during the everyday course of administration and regulation. Government surveillance in many nations captures information that should be private, a topic we discussed in Chapter 6. Search engines, credit rating organizations, and insurance companies also gather huge amounts of data on consumers. When data is incorrect, or is hacked, there are serious implications for information privacy. Criminals seek to gain leverage by ferreting out computer-based data about personal financial transactions. Health information is a particularly sensitive area in which many people feel especially vulnerable. These are all ‘classical’ privacy concerns, the dangers of which were evident in the 1960s. New technologies have raised more concerns. Social media holds vast quantities of personal data that we have willingly disclosed, including information that could prove embarrassing later in life. A vivid example of a privacy breech was the Cambridge Analytica/Facebook scandal of 2018. New technologies raise new privacy concerns. Chips use GPS to track our location and movements. Recent advances in computer vision and the widespread deployment of video cameras enable face recognition. Chips located in the environment and embedded as sensors and prostheses in our bodies make our activities and even our moods accessible by others.