Ethical & Legal Issues: Tully's Coffee Team

Question: What concerns you most about privacy on the web and why?

First of all, what is privacy? According to the dictionary definition, privacy is the state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people. What concerns me most about privacy on the web is how personal data will be collected and used.

Many people value privacy as a closely guarded right unto itself (Strauss 97). People do not want to be bombarded with unwelcomed messages or disclose personal information. Many individuals want the power to decide if they would like to participate and involve themselves in personal data collection events. However, on the other side of the spectrum, some online marketers believe that most users would rather receive the benefits of targeted advertising. This side of the spectrum leans towards privacy being only one of many values to be balanced (97). In my opinion, I personally believe privacy is not just one of many values to be balanced. Privacy is very important and should be taken seriously. Privacy is about the protection of people’s lives and it allows people to identify & outline a boundary of comfort.

In addition to the collection of data, another concern I have is how personal data will be used. For instance, “Adding to the problem (over exploitation of personally identifiable information) is the confusion over what the Web sites do with the information they collect” (98). It is an unnerving feeling to not know what people may or may not do with one’s personal information. A particular issue that comes into my mind with from this scenario is identity theft. Identity theft is a form of fraud where someone else assumes another person’s identity. Identity theft usually occurs in order to access credit and other valuable assets in the victim’s name. According to Wikipedia, one security specialist, Gunter Ollmann, mentioned that there was an application for credit card theft. This particular application made it easy for hackers to access all kinds of information online including credit card information, important documents, and even documents necessary for homeland security. This type of information is private for a reason. Privacy is important to protect and fight for because this type of information involves people lives and finances. This information also involves the security and safety of our own country.

Lastly, I think the reason why the collection and use of data is a big concern is due to the differences of speed between the Internet and law enactments. For instance, the Internet is a fast pace and an ever-changing environment while enactments of laws can be a slow process. By the time a law is recognized and has become enacted, the Internet landscape probably has already changed and the newly enacted law has now become obsolete. Furthermore, the Internet is still an unfamiliar territory and efforts to eliminate online transgressions are still trying to be defined. In the meantime, it is important that users are able to opt out at their own will from online applications and most importantly policies should be in place to ensure the integrity of data and the prevention of data misuse such as identity theft.

Cheers,

Connie Rae