CSC 410 Day 30

Privacy

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Admin.

1) Working on Project Plans.

2) Friday:
◦ The Jimmy Small Case and assignment 4 (the
last assignment).

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1. How has IT changed privacy issues?
1) Before computers, privacy concerned
physical documents, one’s own home, locked
filing cabinets, safes, and close personal
relationships.

2) Since the IT revolution, there is a new set of

concerns.

Discuss.

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Greased Data.
1. What does “greased data” mean?

2. What are examples?

◦ E.g. if calling to order a pizza.
◦ Internet purchases.
◦ Using gmail.
◦ Other.

3. How does it impact privacy issues?

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What changes when information is
digitized?

1) On line phone books.

2) Facebook.
3) Purchasing habits.
4) Political affiliation and views.
5) Personal interests.
6) Behavior.
7) Criminal record.

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Only personal? Only cultural?
Some people value privacy more than others.
◦ Some people are exhibitionists or narcissists.
◦ Some dislike the limelight / “goldfish bowl.”

Some cultures value privacy more than others.

◦ If a right to privacy is based on what people accept,
it is impossible to develop a consistent standard.

◦ The right to privacy should not depend on whether

all people want to claim that right.

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2. Attempts to justify a right to privacy.

A) Privacy has instrumental value:

◦ It protects us from harm.

B) Privacy has intrinsic value:

◦ It is essential to autonomy.

C) Moor’s alternative.

◦ Privacy expresses a core value of security.

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A) Privacy has instrumental value.
Privacy can protect against harm:
◦ Privacy of medical information can help someone to
avoid discrimination.
◦ Privacy of buying patterns can prevent irritating ads.
◦ Privacy of political views may prevent discrimination.

But what positive good does it support?

◦ Helps some develop “varied relationships”?
◦ Not everyone wants that!
◦ Are these “varied relationships” good?

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B) Privacy has intrinsic value.
Privacyis intrinsic to autonomy (being able to
do what we want)

Moor: not necessarily true.

◦ E.g. person who does not know he is being
monitored.

Also: is autonomy always a good thing?

◦ Don’t criminals want autonomy?
◦ Can be license to abdicate vocation and violate
God’s Law.
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C) Moor’s alternative.
1) There is a core set of values, including life,
freedom, happiness and security.

2) Privacy is not a core value.

3) But privacy is an expression of the core value

of security.
◦ Privacy supports all the core values (instrumental)
◦ But it is also intrinsically wrong to eavesdrop without
consent even if no harm is done with the information,
as it violates a person’s security.
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3. What is privacy?

1) Natural privacy:

◦ An item or activity not naturally observable by
others e.g. an item in a safe or exploring caves.

2)Normative privacy:
◦ Any item or activity whose privacy is morally or
legally protected e.g. financial / medical data or
transactions.

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How IT makes privacy a complex concept.
The same data may be private in one zone and public
in another
Data may be private to X but not to Y
Data accessible on a “need to know” basis:
◦ Who needs to know it?
◦ For what purpose?
◦ For how long?
In practice, this means attempting to control access
to data e.g. role-based accounts
This is hard to enforce because of greased data

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4. Example: medical records
No one person needs to have access to all
information about a patient.

Doctors may not have access to billing even

though they do see medical records

The business office should not have access to

medical records
A medical specialist in area A may not be
allowed to see data in area B
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The Gattaca scenario
Suppose doctors can foretell health problems
from genetic tests performed at birth

What problems would this cause?

What could prevent this fictional scenario from

becoming reality?

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Privacy and freedom
Governments and companies that know too
much can severely restrict our liberty:

◦ Denial of employment
◦ Denial of health insurance
◦ Targeting by government agencies (e.g. IRS)
◦ Treated as a dissident
◦ Human rights abuses
◦ Discrimination due to ideological or religious
beliefs

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