Sem 083 Ethics in Cyberspace

Assignment # 1. Privacy: What does it mean to you?

Neither the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights expressly states that US citizens have any right of privacy. However the courts have said that individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy. But in a digital world can a reasonable person expect privacy? As more and more information about us is available in digital form, it is trivial to access and manipulate that information. Information about us is sold on the open market to anyone who thinks they can make a profit from it. It is usually sold without our consent.

An interesting thing about privacy is that it is relative. What I may consider private, you may not. What you consider private today, you may be willing to give up tomorrow for some convenience or perceived value. One prediction for this new century: We will all give up more of our privacy.

In this class we will talk about what privacy means to each of us and then we will have a look at some of the US laws regarding privacy.

Assignment:

• Read Time Magazine's special report on privacy.from the August 25, 1997 issue.
  
  
• Read what one of last year's freshmen, Laura Boylan, wrote about her views of privacy in the future.
  


• Be prepared to discuss the following in class:
  
  

1. What information about yourself do you consider to be private?
   
   
   • phone number
   
   
   • height/weight
   
   
   • medical records
   • motor vehicle record
   • list of books you borrow from library
   • list of videos you rent
   • credit card bills
   • phone bills
   • cable TV bills
   • academic records
   • products you purchase online
   • products you purchase at the grocery store
   • products you purchase at the drug store
     
     
2. Which of those items that you feel are private would you be willing to share? with whom? under what conditions?



3. Which of these items do you think are protected by US law?
   
   
4. Do you think more laws are neded to protect privacy?
   
   
5. If you come from a different country, do you know what privacy laws your country has?
   
   
6. What are some of the ways technology can help protect your privacy? Do you think technology rather than law can better protect privacy?
   
   
7. What is your view on privacy in the future?
   
   

last updated 05-Sep-2001 by: joanne@mit.edu