Privacy
hidePrivacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively. The boundaries and content of what is considered private differ among cultures and individuals, but share basic common themes. Privacy is sometimes related to anonymity, the wish to remain unnoticed or unidentified in the public realm. When something is private to a person, it usually means there is something within them that is considered inherently special or personally sensitive. The degree to which private information is exposed therefore depends on how the public will receive this information, which differs between places and over time. Privacy can be seen as an aspect of security — one in which trade-offs between the interests of one group and another can become particularly clear.
The right against unsanctioned invasion of privacy by the government, corporations or individuals is part of many countries' privacy laws, and in some cases, constitutions. Almost all countries have laws which in some way limit privacy; an example of this would be law concerning taxation, which normally require the sharing of information about personal income or earnings. In some countries individual privacy may conflict with freedom of speech laws and some laws may require public disclosure of information which would be considered private in other countries and cultures.
Privacy may be voluntarily sacrificed, normally in exchange for perceived benefits and very often with specific dangers and losses, although this is a very strategic view of human relationships. Academics who are economists, evolutionary theorists, and research psychologists describe revealing privacy as a 'voluntary sacrifice', where sweepstakes or competitions are involved. In the business world, a person may give personal details (often for advertising purposes) in order to enter a gamble of winning a prize. Information which is voluntarily shared and is later stolen or misused can lead to identity theft.
For more information about Privacy, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with privacy
Swedish pirates have wind in their sails for EU vote
Jun 01, 2009 |
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A Swedish party which wants an Internet filesharing free-for-all, the Pirate Party, could become one of the surprise new entrants to the European parliament this week.
New 'smart' electrical meters raise privacy issues
Nov 06, 2009 |
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The new "smart meters" utilities are installing in homes around the world to reduce energy use raise fresh privacy issues because of the wealth of information about consumer habits they reveal, experts said ...
Swedish court overturns landmark file sharing ruling
Oct 13, 2009 |
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A Swedish appeals court on Tuesday overturned a landmark file sharing ruling that forced an Internet service provider to reveal an Internet user's identity to five publishers.
Report: Widespread data sharing, 'Web bugs'
Jun 02, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Information released a report late Monday (June 1) showing that the most popular Web sites in the United States all share ...
Technology users are failing to take adequate steps to protect their digital privacy
Sep 05, 2008 |
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In the face of technology that will soon be able not only to track an individual's movements but predict them too, people are far too relaxed about protecting their privacy, according to social psychologist Saadi Lahlou, ...
Facebook knows too much, ACLU says in warning of quizzes
Aug 27, 2009 |
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Privacy advocates have long warned that users of Facebook and other social networks who seek amusement from quizzes like "What Simpsons Character Are You?" might be mortified by the way creators of such applications can access ...
Chips in official IDs raise privacy fears
Jul 11, 2009 |
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Climbing into his Volvo, outfitted with a Matrics antenna and a Motorola reader he'd bought on eBay for $190, Chris Paget cruised the streets of San Francisco with this objective: To read the identity cards ...
Gov't won't classify proxies as 'sophisticated' (Update)
Apr 15, 2009 |
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(AP) -- The U.S. government has dropped - for now - a plan to classify the use of "proxy" servers as evidence of sophistication in committing a crime.
Swedish crackdown on piracy leads to fall in illegal filesharing
Aug 04, 2009 |
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Sweden's tough new anti-piracy law has led to a sharp drop in illegal downloading but critics say the effects will be short-lived and argue it is an excessive breach of personal privacy.
Swiss privacy watchdog to sue Google Street View
Nov 13, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Google Inc.'s unstoppable drive to map and photograph the world has run into an immovable object - Switzerland's strict tradition of personal privacy.
Protecting your virtual privacy
Nov 03, 2009 |
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The details of your personal life, such as grocery purchases and pizza topping preferences, are collected every day ― online and by club and discount cards from the gym, department store and supermarket. Though this ...
Advertisers face resistance to on-line tracking
Nov 08, 2009 |
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Campaigners are stepping up efforts to curb online tracking of Internet use by firms that deliver adverts tailored to the specific interests of consumers, as polls reveal widespread unease with the practice.
Privacy group urges probe of Google cloud services
Mar 18, 2009 |
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A US electronic privacy group has called for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the security and privacy of Google's Web-based products such as email and photo services.
Teens' Online Safety Improved by Education, Research Shows
Nov 21, 2008 |
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Think protecting young teenagers on the Internet is important? Then be sure they think it's important, too, according to a forthcoming article in IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication.
Angry British villagers stop Google maps car: report
Apr 03, 2009 |
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Angry residents of an English village blocked the driver of a Google Street View car who was filming the neighbourhood, saying they feared he would encourage burglaries, a report said Friday.
