Public Security: The Invasion Of Privacy

Before the introduction of our modern technological devices we’ve come to know and depend on, we were living in a predominantly paper centered world where “little thought was given to the electronic future where technology would have proved new tools not simply to process data but rather to collect information in unforeseen ways or to mine previously undetermined knowledge from data repositories” (Strickland and Hunt 1). Paper is not at the center of world anymore, now we are living in a digital centered world that doesn’t slow down. It is crucial to question how these modern devices are being used by the government regarding privacy interests of the public, especially since most of the public is living in the dark when it comes to how these devices work. These surveillance technologies are everywhere; in places most citizens don’t even realize. Does the public have any choice when it comes to their privacy or do they just trust their government to
Today many governments and the European Union have invested in many new surveillance technologies in order to create a motivated attitude against terror. “Although these technologies are expected to enhance public security, they are subjecting ordinary citizens to an increasing amount of permanent surveillance, potentially causing infringements of privacy and a restriction of fundamental rights.” (Lieshout et al 1) So how does one define privacy in the modern world where it seems privacy keeps slipping away as more technologies appear in our lives? Some understand privacy as a social value, public good, or an individual value. Lieshout, Friedewald, Wright, and Gutwirth mention six dimensions of privacy: the right to be let alone, limited access to the self, secrecy, control of personal information, personhood, and intimacy (2). Privacy can be seen in many ways all over