2. Privacy and Freedom of Speech

• Privacy represents an important area of society that is being impacted by computers. Just Google for your favorite recording artist or movie star. They don't have much privacy - there are pictures of them everywhere. Their personal information is very public.

• Freedom of speech takes on new meaning in cyberspace. While it is possible for repressive regimes to control print and broadcast media, it is much more difficult to control online publication. This is especially true when the source of the information is outside the jurisdiction of those endeavoring to control speech.

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) aims primarily to give control to European Union citizens and residents over their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business by unifying the regulation within the EU. It also addresses the export of personal data outside the EU.

Your personal information may not be so public, but it could be. See how easy it is to find your phone number and address using one of the online services. While this great if old friends are trying to reach you, it could be a problem if the interested is unwanted.

In this topic, we will look at issues surrounding privacy and how to protect your personal information. The "worst case" is identity theft - a growing problem that is extremely hard for the victim to recover from. Being aware of these issues is an important first step.


Learning outcomes

• explore the topic of Privacy through reading, media and related assignments
• facilitate an online discussion about Privacy
• explore web resources associated with this topic
• learn about blogging and personal publishing on the web
• consider how society is impacted by the application of computers and the Internet to Privacy issues


Keywords

• privacy, data collection, surveillance, Fourth Amendment, personalization, privacy regulations, public records, communications interception, encryption, freedom of speech, media, spam, ad blockers, offensive speech, censorship, anonymity, net neutrality, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), 2-factor authentication, phishing

Study questions

• How do you feel about your own privacy when you are using technology? Are you more or less concerned than transacting in other media?
• How safe is your personal information?
• Do you think "big brother" is watching you?
• Should we have a National ID system? What difference would it make?
• If more health data was collected, researchers could cure more health problems. Do you agree? Would you allow you health records to be shared with researchers if your personal identity were hidden?
• Is there a right to privacy? How far should that extend? What limits are necessary?
• How has the internet changed the meaning and application of the First Amendment's protection of freedom of the press?
• What is offensive speech? What should be prohibited or restricted by law in cyberspace?
• What must be done to protect children in cyberspace? How is this different from protection elsewhere?
• How is the Communications Decency Act being viewed by supporters and opponents?
• What are some of the outcomes that could result from the global nature of the internet? Access to information? Different points of view? Lies and propaganda?
• Should anonymity be allowed? Encouraged? Protected?
• To what extent can new communities develop over the internet? Are these "real" communities? What makes them special?
• Is the internet a communication system that is totally neutral - without conscience, principle or morality?

Study Questions from Former Students

• Should distribution of information online and offline be regulated more strictly?
• How do privacy regulations in the United States differ from those in the European Union?
• Do the people who work for the companies that abuse personal information understand that they too are at risk or are they protected with anonymizers, encryption and privacy protection software?
• Who am I if someone steals my identity?
• What kind of benefit does a credit bureau get for selling "header" information from credit files?
• Do you think setting up rules for children under 13 is going to work?
• Is there any way we can check when people steal our information?
• Do we need tracking devices or will they end our rights to privacy?
• Do you think there really is such a thing as personal information if everyone has access to it?
• What do you do to prevent cyber-attacks?

Assignments

1. Before you start the reading and the assignments, take a few minutes to think about what you already know about the topic - Privacy and Freedom of Speech. Write a sentence or two about this in the I know... discussion.
   
   
2. Read the Study notes for an overview for the topics that will be covered.
   
   
3. Read, view, listen to several selections in the Media lists. There is no textbook for this course, so you will have to determine how many of these resources to read and watch. Use the study questions and assignments to guide your research. Have you found answers to most of the questions? If not, look for other sources of information. This is self-directed learning.
   
   
4. Choose 2 words from the Keywords list. Find 1-2 resource that provides information about the words and how they relate to the course. Post the words, links to your selected resource, and a brief description about your selections, to the discussion Privacy and Freedom of Speech keywords.
   Review 2 other resources in the discussion, and write a brief reply for each.
   
   
5. If you haven't read the course Syllabus - CIS 2 Computers and Society, do it NOW. There is a lot of important information here.
   
   
6. To gauge your personal risk, and find tips for lowering it, take the safety quiz at IDsafety.net. http://idsafety.net/
   
   
7. Add a small picture to accompanies your posts in the discussions. Edit your profile - any small image file can be uploaded. For best results, it should be 100x100 pixels in size.
   
   
8. Find one resource that talks about privacy and computers that you think is particularly interesting. Write a brief summary of the key point and a "critical thinking" question about the social issues discussed. What is the impact on society? Why is this important? Be sure your question will encourage discussion on why this is important. Post the web address of the Privacy resource you selected, a sentence that prompted your question, and your question to discussion topic Privacy and Personal Information. Facilitate your discussion and participate in at least 2 other discussions.
   
   
9. Blog -- (weB LOG) - A blog is a journal that is available on the web. The activity of writing articles or journal entries on a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated frequently using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog. Postings on a blog are almost usually arranged in chronological order with the most recent additions or "posts" at the top. Video logs (vlogs) are increasing in popularity as more people have the ability to record and play video.
   
   Search the web and find a blog or vlog on a topic that interests you. This could be an expert in a particular field or just someone who records a personal journal that is good reading/viewing. There are many directories of blogs and vlogs, too. Write 3-4 sentences describing the blog or vlog that you selected, and post it along with the web address to the discussion Blogs/Vlogs of Interest.
   Visit several of the other blogs/vlogs in the discussion and comment on at least 2. What does blogging/vlogging indicate about society today? Do you have your own blog/vlog? What is your point of view? Why do you blog/vlog? How often do you add new entries? Do you follow others regularly? Which ones? Why?
   
   
10. Just like a tattoo, your digital reputation is an expression of yourself. It is highly visible, and hard to remove. Explore how your online identity affects you, your friends, your school and your job - for better and for worse - and how to make informed choices. Take the self-assessment at Digital Tattoo http://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/quizzes/protect-what-would-you-do/
    2019.1.15. Looks like there is no submit button for the quiz. Listen to the podcast https://soundcloud.com/user-953700283.
    .
    
11. Learning Literacies - Protect it - Digital Citizenship. We have already looked at a number of these issues. Here is an opportunity to review 2-3 articles in the Protect it media selections, and then search online for another good resource on the topic. Rate 2 articles. Post a link and a brief summary of the reasons for each of your selections to the Learning Literacies - Protect it discussion. Review 2 others.
    
    
12. Reflection - Read Things You Really Need to Learn written by Stephen Downes. Written in 2006, Downes suggests ten life skills that are still being discussed today. What is the best advice? What would you add? This should be 3-4 sentences. Use the I think... 2 assignment to submit your note.

Media

PRIVACY

Adtech giants like Meta must give EU users real privacy choice, says EDPB | TechCrunch

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has published new guidance which has major implications for adtech giants like Meta and other large platforms. The guidance, which was confirmed incoming W...

FTC Order Prohibits Data Broker X-Mode Social and Outlogic from Selling Sensitive Location Data | Federal Trade Commission

"Data broker X-Mode Social and its successor Outlogic will be prohibited from sharing or selling any sensitive location data to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that the company sol...

Google's new settings let you remove your private info from search results. Here's how | ZDNET

new dashboard for an existing feature called Results about you. Introduced in 2022, this feature lets you track any personal details that pop up in a search result so that you can ask Google to rem...

"Smishing" Is The Latest Way Scammers Are Trying To Get Your Info. Here's How To Protect Yourself

"In “smishing” ― a term that combines “SMS” and “phishing” ― bad actors try to get your personal and banking information through unsolicited text messages on mobile devices. Th...

Google Will Mass Delete Old Gmail And Photos Content Next Week

Google will start deleting inactive Photos and Gmail accounts next week, on December 1st.This is a planned move that Google announced back in May, with the company explaining that accounts that hav...

PROTECT IT

What is catfishing and what can you do if you are catfished? | CNN Business

Catfishing is when a person uses false information and images to create a fake identity online with the intention to trick, harass, or scam another person. It is often on social media or dating app...

5 financial scams to watch out for in 2024

"Fraud cost U.S. consumers more than $7 billion in the first three quarters of 2023, a 5% increase from the same period a year earlier, according to the Federal Trade Commission.If you are awa...

Google's new settings let you remove your private info from search results. Here's how | ZDNET

new dashboard for an existing feature called Results about you. Introduced in 2022, this feature lets you track any personal details that pop up in a search result so that you can ask Google to rem...

You are less anonymous on the web than you think — much less.

"Researchers say most people don’t realize how much information they're leaving behind as they browse the web. The Footprints Project explores the vulnerabilities."online privacy ri...

Top 10 Internet Safety Rules & What Not to Do Online

"Unsafe surfing can also lead to other threats—from embarrassing personal comments or images that, once online, are nearly impossible to erase, to getting mixed up with people you'd rath...

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Adtech giants like Meta must give EU users real privacy choice, says EDPB | TechCrunch

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has published new guidance which has major implications for adtech giants like Meta and other large platforms. The guidance, which was confirmed incoming W...

Denmark bans Chromebooks and Google Workspace in schools over data transfer risks – TechCrunch

Denmark is effectively banning Google’s services in schools, after officials in the municipality of Helsingør were last year ordered to carry out a risk assessment around the processing of perso...

Compliance | How Google complies with data protection laws

Keeping users’ information safe, secure and private is among our highest priorities at Google. Over the years, we have worked closely with Data Protection Authorities in Europe, and have implemen...

What Developers Need to Know About Europe’s Data Privacy Rules

their possession. GDPR defines personal data as anything that could directly or indirectly identify a person, such as a name, a photo, an email address, bank details, posts on social networking web...

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