Privacy
Privacy is the ability of a person to control the availability of information about and exposure of him- or herself. It is related to being able to function in society anonymously (including pseudonymous or blind credential identification).According to Eric Hughes, "Privacy is the power to selectively reveal oneself to the world."[1]
Types of privacy giving rise to special concerns:
- political privacy
- consumer privacy
- medical privacy
- information technology end user privacy; also called Data privacy
- Waiver of privacy right included in the terms of a contract.
- Theft of confidential information, e.g. by computer cracking.
- Statutory or regulatory orders to provide private material (eg, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act in the UK)
- Compulsory National identity cards, especially when linked to central government databases
- Statutory or regulatory intrusion on private acts (assorted wiretapping provisions just about everywhere -- most do not include notice which can be opposed in a court)
- Involuntary "outing", e.g. of homosexuals, often by others of the same political category who seek openness over privacy, or opponents intent on shaming them.
- Non-transparent packages;
- Encryption of communications and other information;
- De jure establishment of privacy rights as an entitlement;
- sue, shun or harm those guilty of outing;
- toilets, showers and changing rooms separated by sex and/or with separate cubicles; partitions between urinals; possibility to lock the door;
- separate rooms for people in their house, possibility to lock the door, agreement to knock before entering (with or without waiting for a reply).
External Links
- John Does.org internet anonymity site
