Book contents
- Life after Privacy
- Life after Privacy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Confessional Culture
- 2 Defending Privacy
- 3 Big Plans for Big Data
- 4 The Surveillance Economy
- 5 Privacy Past and Present
- 6 The Borderless, Vanishing Self
- 7 Autonomy and Political Freedom
- 8 Powerful Publics
- Conclusion
- Index
6 - The Borderless, Vanishing Self
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 September 2020
- Life after Privacy
- Life after Privacy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Confessional Culture
- 2 Defending Privacy
- 3 Big Plans for Big Data
- 4 The Surveillance Economy
- 5 Privacy Past and Present
- 6 The Borderless, Vanishing Self
- 7 Autonomy and Political Freedom
- 8 Powerful Publics
- Conclusion
- Index
Summary
I have been arguing that privacy is on life support, and its prognosis looks dim. It is thoroughly besieged in the digital age, and the general population is perhaps its greatest enemy, happily surrendering it to indulge in all manner of conveniences and innovations. Critics and privacy advocates warn that this is a dire development; privacy is necessary for a free and fulfilled life. The digital tidal wave forces us to face a future where privacy may be nonexistent, or at least radically transformed, and diminished. I don’t believe the proper solution is to urge people to start caring about privacy again, build stronger walls around their personal lives, so to speak, and block out spying eyes. This seems utterly impossible, and it is unreasonable or implausible to request this of people who are eager to tap into all that the digital economy has to offer. We must find a way to thrive despite this state of affairs.
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- Information
- Life after PrivacyReclaiming Democracy in a Surveillance Society, pp. 95 - 114Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020