Computer Matching Versus Privacy
Introduction
With the advent of new computer technologies, the ease with which new information can be discovered from aggregating data sources is astounding. This technique is called computer matching. When it comes to doing research this can be an incredible source of new ideas and correlations between sets of data. However, this same technique can be applied to information about individual people. Suddenly, by pulling together disparate sources of data, private information can be learned about an individual without their knowledge or consent. If the organization that is capable of computer matching is a government, it places a lot of information in the hands of a powerful entity. A question of whether the government should have this new information is a significant one.
What if the government were not allowed to ask you for information that is discoverable through computer matching? Should the government be allowed to use this technique to yield the same information? This ethical dilemma is covered in this paper. Relevant information will be used from the laws in the United States and the European Union to illustrate the different perspectives on the privacy of citizens and the approaches each government takes to it.
Letter of the Law or Spirit?
Many countries around the world have laws on what information a government can ask from its citizens. These laws typically focus on protecting the privacy of individual citizens and preventing discrimination based upon the collected information. Computer matching could place this same information in the hands of the government.
In the United States, US law prohibits the direct collection of certain information. This includes, but not limited to information about ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc1. The European Union (EU) has set guidelines for members of the union. These guidelines set strict rules for the “processing” of personal information. The EU defines processing as collection, use, storage, retrieval, transmission, destruction, and other actions2. The rules also provide provisions requiring the consent of the individual person before this “processing” can occur.
It is apparent that the intentions of the laws for the United States and the EU are to protect the privacy of their citizens. However, loopholes exist in these laws that allow the governments to bend these laws. In the United States, the law prevents the government from asking for certain information, but it does not prevent it from purchasing this information or using matching techniques to discover it.
Abstract: This paper provides an analysis of the privacy issues associated with governmental Internet surveillance, with a focus on the recently disclosed FBI tool known as Carnivore. It concludes that, while some system of surveillance is necessary, more mechanisms to prevent abuse of privacy must exist.
The America Government is not carrying out immoral, illegal or unethical acts by collecting data on its citizens. However, history has shown that such collections of data without correct supervision can easily be used in an unethical manner.
Dylan Thomas’s villanelle “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” is addressed to his aged father. The poem is remarkable in a number of ways, most notably in that contrary to most common poetic treatments of the inevitability of death, which argue for serenity or celebrate the peace that death provides, this poem urges resistance and rage in the face of death. It justifies that unusual attitude by describing the rage and resistance to death of four kinds of men, all of whom can summon up the image of a complete and satisfying life that is denied to them by death.
Rosen, David. Four ways your privacy is being invaded. 11 september 2012. 13 february 2014 .
Giotto was a Renaissance painter who dabbled in many other artistic venues such as sculpting and architecture. Along with his trademarks Giotto also pursued new forms of art created in the Renaissance like fresco paintings and three dimensional paints on two dimensional canvases. In 1267, Giotto was a born in the village of Vespignano-which is located near Florence, Italy. His full name was Giotto di Bondone and he was born to a family of small land farmers. During his lifetime Giotto produced many influential paintings - mainly frescoes - and was a highly acclaimed painter. He was a white hetrosexual male and of the Roman Catholic Church. There are two stories told of Giotto’s rise to fame. Both stories revolve around a well known Italian painter named Cimabue. One version says Cimabue caught Giotto sketching one of his father’s sheep on a rock when he was twelve, Cimabue loved his work so much he took him on as a pupil. Another version says while apprenticed to a wool merchant Giotto visited Cimabue’s studio so often the artist finally was allowed him to study. Giotto was a happy ...
This strict form of the villanelle emphasizes the dissatisfaction Thomas feels with his father’s fast approaching death. Therefore, he writes this villanelle poem for his dying father to encourage him to fight for his own life. While men of differences may learn too late, and lament their lack of foresight, even they “do not go gentle into that good night,” instead they “Rage, rage against the dying of the light. ” . Thomas’ elements of form and character create every attempt to influence his father not to give up easily on dying, but it allows Thomas to cope with the
Giotto di Bondone was an all around well respectable connoisseur when it came to his work of art. Moreover, his art was very religious-oriented, to say the least. Once breaking free from Byzantine art, he began creating work of portraying idealism and naturalism.
Privacy is one of the severe issue in today’s Modern Technology era, tied to human right around the world. Most countries have started thinking differently regarding between the people’s right and national security, and trying to leverage on new technology to detect potential national threats without hurting people’s privacy. However, there's a blurred line between privacy violation and government surveillance. (Sánchez, Levin & Del, 2012) It would be a learning process for governments to seek an optimum balance between retain integrity of privacy right and eliminate national threats in order to make the country better.
Most people concerned about the privacy implications of government surveillance aren’t arguing for no[sic] surveillance and absolute privacy. They’d be fine giving up some privacy as long as appropriate controls, limitations, oversight and accountability mechanisms were in place. ”(“5 Myths about Privacy”). The fight for privacy rights is by no means a recent conflict.
Fairy tales have been part of our lives ever since we were young children. We all either grew up watching Disney renditions of fairy tales, or we had storybooks filled with vivid pictures of a tale. Fairy tales are so important in our culture that it would be difficult to find someone who has not heard of Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, or other fairy tale protagonists. Interestingly enough, fairy tales have been a very integral part of Western culture since the time they were written. Fairy tale writers, such as Charles Perrault and the Grimm Brothers, revolutionized culture in the 17th and 18th centuries with their writings. Not only did these writers write these tales for entertainment, but they also accomplished to influence the
A “fairy-story” is one which touches on or uses Faerie, whatever its own main purpose may be: satire, adventure, morality, fantasy. Faerie itself may perhaps most nearly be translated by Magic — but it is magic of a peculiar mood and power, at the furthest pole from the vulgar devices of the laborious, scientific, magician. There is one proviso: if there is any satire present in
The natural progression of the Internet and emerging technologies is towards streamlining our lives both personally and professionally. Instantaneous communications and available on-line services continue to reduce the physical distance between individuals. Almost anything is now available in cyberspace from shopping, schooling and education, on-line trading, banking, to social and political on-line communities. On-line service providers are shifting from a product centric approach to a more personal and customized approach to marketing their products and services. The idea of one-to-one marketing is very powerful and has become an important tool for competing in the interactive age. One-to-one marketing takes a customer-orientated approach to selling; customers are treated as individuals with different interests and needs. We respond positively to individual attention; when we visit a web site we want to see products and services of interest to us not every available product. We do not want to waste our time. For many people, time is money and the convenience factor ways heavily on the decision to return to a web site.
As big data grows, personal privacy shrinks. That simple relationship is actually the basis for a very complex discussion. For the past several years the personal data available through the internet and other electronic has exploded. This combined with daily threats of global terrorism creates a society where the limits of personal freedoms, liberties, and privacy are constantly debated. Add to that the amount of personal information the average person willingly shares through sites like Facebook, Twitter and local store discount cards, and many believe that personal privacy is a completely dead concept.1 The benefits of collecting “big data” are well documented. Big data helps in the discovery of medical cures and capture of global terrorists. It allows marketing companies track consumer trends and politicians measure policy ideas.2 These benefits will only increase over the next few years as more and more personal data is collected. However this also means our personal privacy will continue to disappear at an alarming rate. As the debate continues, many important questions need to be answered. What are the political and constitutional issues related to the collection of big data? Is the average American concerned or even aware of this issue? What, if anything can be done to control the collection of personal data? While personal privacy may be a thing of the past, moving forward it is important that society recognizes the constant collection of information threatens individual privacy and civil liberties and new laws are needed to control it.
As can be seen, from the information presented, the need for laws and restrictions concerning internet data collection is greatly needed. Moreover, the government can search private citizens data without warrant or cause. Also, companies are not only collecting internet user data but also selling it. The companies and agencies who commit such crimes should be fined or either closed down. In closing, the privacy and security of individuals on the internet should be upheld by the United States government.