Leg 500 - Assignment 2: the Value of Digital Privacy in and Information Technology Age
Assignment 2: The Value of Digital Privacy in and Information Technology Age
LEG 500 - Law, Ethics, and Corporate Governance
1. List and describe at least three (3) technologies that allow an individual to research citizens ' private data.
A technology that allows an individual to research private data is the Global Positioning System (GPS). This “is a navigation and precise-positioning tool” (Glasscoe, 1998) developed in the early seventy’s by the Department of Defense. Although GPS was originally designed for the military, its applications have extended into the public sector to provide researchers the specific location of an individual (Glasscoe, 1998).
A malicious technology that can be used to research an individual’s private data is spyware. In general, it is software that can be loaded on an internet ready device, such as a computer or smartphone, with the sole purpose of gathering and transmitting one’s private data to another person. Spyware is “designed to be difficult to remove,” and the collection and transmission of information can be completed without the individual’s consent (Microsoft, 2012).
In contrast to spyware, social networking services are freely provided with and individual’s private data. Social networking services are web based platforms built to facilitate communication between internet users. “When creating an account user[s] disclose private information about their social contacts and interests by including friends, business associates, and companies in their networks” (The White House, 2012). Services such as “Facebook, the largest social network service” (Halbert & Ingulli, 2012) can gather enormous amounts of private data that is associated with an individual including: “written updates, photos, videos, and location information” (The White House, 2012). 2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of public access to this information, both for the researchers and those who are being investigated.
“Personal
LEG 500 - Law, Ethics, and Corporate Governance
1. List and describe at least three (3) technologies that allow an individual to research citizens ' private data.
A technology that allows an individual to research private data is the Global Positioning System (GPS). This “is a navigation and precise-positioning tool” (Glasscoe, 1998) developed in the early seventy’s by the Department of Defense. Although GPS was originally designed for the military, its applications have extended into the public sector to provide researchers the specific location of an individual (Glasscoe, 1998).
A malicious technology that can be used to research an individual’s private data is spyware. In general, it is software that can be loaded on an internet ready device, such as a computer or smartphone, with the sole purpose of gathering and transmitting one’s private data to another person. Spyware is “designed to be difficult to remove,” and the collection and transmission of information can be completed without the individual’s consent (Microsoft, 2012).
In contrast to spyware, social networking services are freely provided with and individual’s private data. Social networking services are web based platforms built to facilitate communication between internet users. “When creating an account user[s] disclose private information about their social contacts and interests by including friends, business associates, and companies in their networks” (The White House, 2012). Services such as “Facebook, the largest social network service” (Halbert & Ingulli, 2012) can gather enormous amounts of private data that is associated with an individual including: “written updates, photos, videos, and location information” (The White House, 2012). 2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of public access to this information, both for the researchers and those who are being investigated.
“Personal
References: Glasscoe, M. (1998, August 13). What is gps?. Retrieved from http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/gps1.htm Halber, T. & Ingulli, E. (2012). Privacy and Technology. In Law & Ethics in the Business Enviorment (7th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Mao, C. (2012, March 28). Columbia business law review. Retrieved from http://cblr.columbia.edu/archives/12047 Microsoft. (2012). Microsoft. Retrieved from http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/spyware-whatis.aspx SENGUPTA, S. (2012, February 04). Should personal data be personal?. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/sunday-review/europe-moves-to-protect-online-privacy.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 The privacy act . (2010). Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/opcl/1974privacyact.pdf The White House. (2012, February 23). Consumer data privacy in a networked world:a framework for protecting privacy and promoting innovation in the global digital economy. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/privacy-final.pdf U.S. Department of Justice. (2009, November). Your rights to federal records. Retrieved from http://publications.usa.gov/epublications/foia/foia.htm