The logic of privacy
A new way to think about computing and personal information
PEOPLE do not have secret trolleys at the supermarket, so how can it be a violation of their privacy if a grocer sells their purchasing habits to a marketing firm? If they walk around in public view, what harm can cameras recording their movements cause? A company is paying them to do a job, so why should it not read their e-mails when they are at work?
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “The logic of privacy”
From the January 6th 2007 edition
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