privacy

This tag is associated with 3 posts

Bulk data collection and privacy

Posted by Richard Coyne ⋅ November 30, 2019 ⋅ 2 Comments

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden said that when crossing a busy road he instinctively looked away from oncoming traffic for fear of having his image captured on a dashcam. People are more easily recognised face-on than in profile. That short observation from his book Permanent Record delineates some salient themes in the so-called smart city: risk, … Continue reading →

Secret listening: Private, personal, portable podcasts

Posted by Richard Coyne ⋅ October 27, 2018 ⋅ 3 Comments

Podcast listening is a personal and private matter, especially if the listener wears headphones. No one need know what you are listening to. That’s not to say that privacy and secrecy are the same. I’ve been listening to the Podcast Radio Hour published by the BBC. In the 19 October 2018 edition Stephen Fry speaks about … Continue reading →

Showing off

Posted by Richard Coyne ⋅ January 25, 2014 ⋅ 3 Comments

As well as valuing their privacy, it seems that some people want to make spectacles of themselves. Include in this category conspicuous whistle blowers exposing secrets — about covert operations that uncover other people’s secrets. Amidst concerns about the interception of text messages, voice, and phone data by GCHQ (Guardian) and ubiquitous video surveillance, spare … Continue reading →