Privacy: Defending an Illusion

by Martin Dowding

Overview

Matters of privacy have profoundly changed since electronic storage of information has become the norm. Consequently, policy-makers and legislators are trying to keep up with privacy challenges in the workplace, in healthcare, in surveillance, and on social networking sites. With Privacy: Defending an Illusion, Martin Dowding fills a very important gap in policy analysis and the teaching of privacy issues at the senior undergraduate and early graduate student level.

In the first section of this book, Dowding recounts historical interpretations of privacy in a wide variety of socio-cultural circumstances. In the second section, the author addresses how information and communication technologies have changed our conceptions about privacy and redirected our focus from keeping information private to sharing it with many more people than we would have even a few years ago. Dowding also examines a variety of possible options for the future of privacy. The appendixes include seminal readings on relevant topics that should encourage debates about the nature of privacy and its problems. Overall, this book provides a solid background for defining and understanding privacy in a wide variety of contexts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810881020
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/01/2011
Pages:	132
Product dimensions:	6.15(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.39(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Martin Dowding is assistant professor of communication studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo Ontario.

Table of Contents

Introduction v

1 Privacy: From Space to Cyberspace 1

2 A Contrast between Pre-ICT Privacy and Today's ICT Realities 11

3 Did ICT Create a New Social Norm? 19

4 Privacy Legislation and Policy: Illusory Protection? 31

5 Surveillance: Privacy Denied 43

6 Privacy in the Workplace 53

7 Privacy and Health 63

8 Social Networking: The Facebook Casebook 73

9 Conclusion: Does Privacy Have a Future? 83

Appendixes

A Canadian Standards Association Principles in Summary 87

B Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy at Wilfrid Laurier University, Office of the Privacy Coordinator 89

C Wilfrid Laurier University: Notice of Collection and Examples of Use or Disclosure 91

D The Difference between Security and Privacy 95

E Ponemon Institute / Information Privacy Commissioner of Ontario Corporate Privacy Comparisons 97

F Drug-Free Workplace Policy 99

G Pros and Cons of Drug Testing in Schools 105

H URL Addresses for the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Fellow Petitioners to the Federal Trade Commission "In the Matter of Facebook, Inc." 109

Further Reading 111

Index 115

About the Author 123

Editorial Reviews

Martin Dowding’s Privacy: Defending an Illusionfills a gap in the literature by reflecting on the complexities of privacy, which might seem straightforward at first glance. Dowding succeeds in helping his readers have a wider understanding of the issues by portraying the views expressed by various experts.. .. It is recommended as a useful text.

Online Information Review

Martin Dowding's Privacy: Defending an Illusion fills a gap in the literature by reflecting on the complexities of privacy, which might seem straightforward at first glance. Dowding succeeds in helping his readers have a wider understanding of the issues by portraying the views expressed by various experts. . . . It is recommended as a useful text.--Online Information Review

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