Comments on: What ever happened to our privacy?

What ever happened to our privacy? Don Reisinger tries to find out.

[cporpheus]

I think the problem is that technology has been developed against privacy for a long time and not enough emphasis has been put toward protecting privacy. The Onion Router and Anonymizer are great technologies among a few other factors contributing to privacy, but against it we have personalized ads, third party cookies, domestic spying, public records on the internet, sensitive information leakage from corporations and many other factors that work against privacy.

[KevLeviathan]

What's so intriguing to me is the fact that we've all seen this coming and yet we continue to allow massive invasions of privacy. Take a look at the CCTV system in London. If that isn't a little (lot) Orwellian, I don't know what is. We seem to be slipping right into a world we've all been ignoring, but seen coming. My phone has embedded GPS, only for 911 use. I really wouldn't take kindly to one of my professors tapping into that without my consent for one of their studies. We've only hit the tip of the iceberg.

[Julio_N]

Oh, you're definitely not going to like this then...

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080606/a_bodyscan06.art.htm

[gerrrg]

That's a bit of a stretch, to say that tracking people anonymously is some great invasion of privacy. If I were a betting person, I'd say that 99% of all people using the internet have their cookies turned on. I'd also venture to guess that 88% of all people with landlines have their phone numbers and addresses listed in the white pages. I also suspect that 77% of people willingly give out their SS number whenever requested. Further, at least 66% of people use their real names online. Even more, 55% of people don't shred their papers. Another 44% of people have had their credit card info stolen. 33% have had their names written down on a waiting list. 22% have left their books on hold at the library, available for anyone to figure out who's reading what. 11% have been spied on actively without their knowledge. And just 1% are anonymous enough that even the unabomber would be embarrassed.

[sldysart]

Sad to see privacy tested for such a lame study.

Not to be picky, but sounds like the study tracked the location of the cell phone rather than the location of the individual. The conclusions are biased unless the individual carries the phone with them 24hrs/day and is the exclusive user who places and receives calls independent of time of day and proximity to home.

[private-internet]

All this statistic tells you is that the current technology supports a public forum. The analogy is this: if you walk into a shopping center with a big sign showing your name and home address will you still claim that your privacy has been violated? You have a cell phone that identifies you and you are on a public network .. where is the privacy?

[dancourses]

Such a difficult topic to cover as it's so new. I suppose the idea of privacy is you're in control of your own details. Like "I clean naked", 'cos you choose to close the curtains. That's you choosing to let someone see or not see your data.

With every device, it's important the user clearly knows when their data is being asked for.

At the pervasive media studio we're hosting an ethics discussion on the Happy Packages project.

http://www.thoughtden.co.uk/blog/2009/03/26/the-ethics-surrounding-happy-packages/

Dan Course :: http://www.thoughtden.co.uk