A Conversation for Talking Point: Privacy

What is Privacy?

Post 1

Steve

Privacy is very subjective.
What I consider private is going to be either very boring to anyone else, as it pertains directly & only to me, or very interesting to everyone else, as in the case of why certain tabloid newspapers are currently in trouble for listening to 'private' conversations that should have remained so.

From society's perspective, privacy is something that, as individuals, we want, but as a group, would like to overcome. It promotes security to the individual user and paranoia to those it's used against. But it's used by everyone to safeguard from any number of questions we'd prefer not to answer.

In reality, privacy is a human right. Personal privacy remains just that. It belongs to each of us and as such can only be used to protect ourselves.

I have the right to go home, close my door, and not answer it if I choose to.
I have the right to close my curtains and prevent others from looking in, if only to see me laying on the sofa watching TV. When I take a bath or shower, I bolt the door in an act of privacy.

There is an element of mutual respect when it comes to personal privacy.

I can extend that on the internet. If I don't wish to be disturbed, I can set IM's to 'busy' or can stipulate to Facebook that only 'friends' are to see my status updates. When you use a broadcast tool, such as Facebook or Twitter, you have to expect that you are giving up a certain amount of privacy, but unless you 'shout it from the rooftops', you are still in control to an extent, until someone re-broadcasts (re-tweet or shares) your thoughts.

In my opinion, the concept of privacy seems to have been warped.

Personal privacy is fully in my control. If it's in my head, that where it stays, unless I broadcast it somehow, via mouth or keyboard, SMS or graffiti. That is the most perfect way to keep something private, that is until the 'thought police' come along.

Another kind of privacy comes under some caveat such as 'corporate' or 'state' which is not concerned with privacy, but secrecy. That kind of privacy is not based on individual respect, but on the need to protect a business or country.

Either way, privacy is subjective, and pertains to people. Information can be private but once it's released on whatever medium at hand, it ceases to be so. Property can be private, but in that respect, it still belongs to people who are asking you to respect the fact.

So, privacy comes down to respect. In that 'respect', can we legislate for it?

In the case of CCTV, for example, and so therefore the likes of You-Tube uploads too, it must be decided what constitutes a breach of personal privacy. If I'm videoed falling over and being dragged across the field by my dog, and that ends up being broadcast around the world, then as it's something funny and my privacy hasn't been affected, then what's the problem? If, on the other hand, I was stealing the dog, then I should consider that I have forgone the rights of privacy as I've broken the law.

It's not so simple, though, is it?

It's not up to you-tubers, facebookers, tweeters and bloggers to decide what is right and what is wrong. My initial statement, that privacy is subjective, and pertains only to me, is the source of our problem. I might have been having an affair, and was walking not my dog but that of the person I was having the affair with. My partner may not see the funny side, and so what's private to me and funny to the world is downright shocking to my partner.

The only privacy is inside one's own head
Commit anything private to paper, e-mail, e-anything or even words and it's no longer private.

Enter the world of secrecy, then you can legislate!








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