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Overview
Privacy Lost: How Technology
is Endangering Your Privacy — While other books
in the field focus on specific aspects of privacy or how
to avoid invasions, David H. Holtzman presents a comprehensive
insider's expose of the world of invasive technology, who's
using it, and how our privacy is at risk. Holtzman starts
out by categorizing privacy violations into "The 7
Sins Against Privacy" and then goes on to explain in
compelling and easy-to-understand language exactly how privacy
is being eroded in every aspect of our lives.
This book was not written for just
privacy advocates or technologists, but rather, for all
who are disturbed about the growing amount of data available
on them. It is also for those concerned about the growing
number of exceedingly well-publicized privacy violations,
and wondering how many other incidents have not become public.
Holtzman vividly reveals actual
invasions and the dangers as associated with the loss of
privacy, and he takes a realistic look at the trade-offs
between privacy and such vital issues as security, rights,
and economic development.
Privacy
Lost is divided into six sections:
Privacy
Invasions Hurt — Examines the damage caused
by a loss of privacy, including descriptions of "The
Seven Sins of Privacy" and the collateral damage
this loss causes society.
Why
Technology is Key — The history behind an
American's concept of privacy, how and why technology
affects privacy, and how new forms of technology create
new types of crime.
Privacy
in Context — Inspects the relationship between
privacy and the law, identity and culture in a technological
world.
The
Technology — Discusses the voyeurism of surveillance
technology and the virtual "stalking" capabilities
allowed by networks, tags and locators.
The
Watchers — Takes a close look at the two main
culprits invading an American's privacy: Corporate marketers,
and the US Government.
What
Can Be Done? — Read what the future holds
for our privacy, including ways our privacy can be safeguarded.
A call to action for all those who feel troubled by the
path down which our privacy is being led includes how
to "Fight Back!"
Five characteristics of technology
that contribute to the deterioration of our privacy include:
- Searching and manipulating data
is inexpensive and quick
- All computers with Internet
access are connected
- The ease of storing, duplicating,
and distributing data means that it never disappears
- Everything public is recorded
- The act of tagging links the
silicon and physical worlds
Excerpts
"Our lives are represented
electronically in databases across the world. The decentralization
of this information makes it difficult to regulate. These
computerized storehouses are necessary for so many business
and governmental purposes that most people do not view them
as a threat. And the political climate is not favorable
for changing the situation. É The natural balance between
national security and privacy has tipped precariously toward
security." (p. xxiii)
"Another program instituted
after 9/11 that affects privacy is the no-fly list maintained
by the TSA [Transportation Safety Administration.] Although
the government initially denied reports that such a list
existed, it publicly acknowledged its existence in 2002.
That list is populated with names of suspected terrorists
or aliases that suspects have used in the past. No one knows
just how big it is although news reports put its size between
30,000 and 120,000 names." (p. 219)
"A privacy battle is shaping
up over this [online] conflict between completely public,
fully-attributed actions and anonymous activities and speech.
There are three broad categories of online involvement,
and each treats identity differently: financial transactions,
browsing, and communication. Each has different parameters
and requires differing amounts of user identification. Much
of the controversy and confusion comes from mashing together
these areas and trying to wrap them up with a single, convergent
naming policy." (p. 127)
"Another way to define privacy
is by the negative, by what is left when information about
us is not abused." (p. 37)
"Electronic databases are far
superior. The cost of storage is low enough that it's easy
to store multiple indices centered on any one field (a part
of a data record.) If the situation changes and a new index
is required, it may take a few hours but only a few keystrokes
to create it. Searching an electronic database is also much
faster than walking through a dusty room and hauling down
boxes, looking for the right information." (p. 60)
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