December 1, 2006
Piers Fawkes’ initial thoughts on how we will handle our privacy (or lack of it) in the future has been published in the Megatrends Matter issue of Future Orientation that comes from the Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies.
The article has now been archived (unfortunately). My notes are here: Red Coat, Black Coat
Technorati Tags: privacy
Inspiration to make things better.
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The issue I have with your characterization of Jill and Steve in “Postcard from the Future” is that Jill doesn’t seem to have really embraced any lack of privacy, so much as altered the manner with which she maintains it. Your explanation that “She manages the data about herself to present the image she wants” indicates that she is in control of her public image and presents it as she likes. In contrast, Steve is trying to avoid having any public image altogether, which I admit may become impossible in the future. The issue then, is not the death of privacy, since Jill is still capable of hiding parts of her identity (Maybe she wears blue underwear under those red clothes), but rather an active method of maintaining it: putting forth the public image one wants, rather than trying to erase one’s public image completely. The inability of outsiders to connect Jill’s public image to her actual identity is the point at which privacy “lives” and “dies”. Walking into a coffee shop and having one’s coffee ready doesn’t have to be a serious breach of privacy as long as we don’t use social security numbers or other official identifiers to indicate our presence (why not use OpenID or some equivalent?). Privacy is important, Mr. Fawkes, and it doesn’t have to die in the name of convenience. It does, however, have to adapt, and I’m not sure about whether society will be as able to manipulate their public identities with the same dexterity as does Jill.
December 2nd, 2006 at 4:11 pm
Great piece Piers. I never really gave Attention/Trust much thought, but reading this really clarified the concept for me.
Our lack of knowledge of how corporations use their data is certainly going to raise some very critical issues in the near future.
December 4th, 2006 at 2:12 am
Nice commentary Number 9. And as you read, this is ‘thought in motion’. I don’t have the answer but I like the simplicity of the idea of managing our identity in the same way we manage privacy. How we do this I don’t know.
Other interesting news and views on the subject:
http://bendrath.blogspot.com/2006/12/politics-of-identity-governance.html
December 4th, 2006 at 9:59 am
Another interesting article about claiming your identity online:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2006-11-29-id-managers_x.htm?csp=34
December 4th, 2006 at 10:35 am
how Nike plus could track you!
http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/radio-on-nike-ipod-sport-kit-could-be-used-to-track-you/
December 4th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
10 fun uses for RFID
:
http://networks.silicon.com/lans/0,39024663,39164446,00.htm
December 4th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
The home of the future monitors you?
http://www.pinktentacle.com/2006/12/roomrender-renders-rooms-intelligent/
December 8th, 2006 at 9:53 am
surveillnce dance group:
http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/009201.php
December 14th, 2006 at 3:58 pm