Internet Privacy Jillian Brinberg, Maggie Kowalski, Sylvia Han, Isabel Smith-Bernstein, Jillian Brinberg

What is Privacy? An individual’s confidential information, behavior, and communications. Ranges from minor details to serious and classified information Everyone is susceptible to privacy breaches Online privacy is a heavily debated issue

A Brief History As new methods of communication are produced, (the printing press, the computer, the internet) new ways to breach privacy become possible. The first article advocating privacy in the US was published in 1890, which was largely a response to newspapers and photographs. Was a response to the Fourth Amendment: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

A Brief History Continued Over the last decade, the fourth amendment has been applied to digital technology. As the internet becomes increasingly popular, people become increasingly worried about their safety online.

Criticisms Some people are not aware of the amount of privacy lost when entering the online world The amount of privacy one has can be heavily influenced by the user’s choices Information of Internet users are too easily accessible through ISPs Data logging Third parties can access personally-identifiable information of the user by looking at their Internet activities Public records are available free or for a fee

Benefits Security Being able to make purchases without fearing identity theft Balancing utility vs. privacy Compromises Google Street View Cookies Social Networking

Compromises Google Street View Many worried about loss of privacy Anyone can find an acquaintance’s house Check out hotels before traveling Avoid parking tickets View real estate Blurs peoples’ faces and certain geographic locations Solve crimes. Don’t believe me? take a look!

Compromises Cookies Many worried about the data stored by cookies Can only store IP addresses “small elements of data that web sites store on visitors’ web browsers in order to provide them with a more tailored user experience” Tiny text files Track anonymous web user behavior Optimum online experience, not spyware

Social Networking Sites Stupid users put a lot of unnecessary personal information online Many worried about identity theft Networking  jobs Keeping track of old acquaintances Sense of community Compromises

What should be done? Educate!! People will use the Internet regardless of the risks The best thing to do is teach safe Internet behavior Harsher punishments for violations of Internet privacy laws