Sep 10, 2023
Introduction
'I was sold a story about the modern world. I was told that I could connect with friends for free and that I could have everything conveniently tailored to my tastes. I was also promised I’d be kept safe from those who wished to attack me and my values. All in all, I was told I would be empowered to live my life as I saw fit.
In time, I began to hear another story. I started to hear that what I had shared with friends was actually a product that social media sold to others. I was told that some of my wants and desires were, in reality, the wants and desires of people whom I had never met. I was made aware that the promise of safety came at a cost which appears never to have been proven worthwhile.
The power, as it turns out, was not really with me – it was with those who sold me the original story. The choices I made when I knew no better helped them understand me and others like me better. They could do this because they were watching. When I wanted them to stop watching, they told me that if I had nothing to hide, then I had nothing to fear.'
Contents
Part I. Privacy is Power
Part II. Privacy in Peril
Part III. Further Analysis and Discussion
Links
Kirstie Ball, Kevin Haggerty, and David Lyon, Routledge Handbook of Surveillance Studies (book).
Neil Richards, Why Privacy Matters (book).
Edward Snowden, Permanent Record: A Memoir of a Reluctant Whistleblower (book).
Carissa Véliz, Privacy is Power: Why and How You Should Take Back Control of Your Data (book).