Privacy

Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to stop information about themselves from becoming known to people other than those they choose to give the information to. Privacy is sometimes related to anonymity although it is often most highly valued by people who are publicly known. 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.

Privacy and security trade offs

Privacy is one of the areas of security where trade-offs become very clear and apparent. For the collection of taxes it is in the interests of government if your earnings and income are well known. On the other hand, that same information may be used to select you or your family as a good target for kidnapping. In these narrow terms, our interest is to keep the information private whilst the government's interest is to obtain that information. In most countries this risk is reduced, but not eliminated, by limiting the number of people with access to taxation information. On the other hand, in some countries, mostly places with a low risk of kidnapping such as Finland, such information is directly accesible to anyone who wishes it.

Related Topics:
Security - Trade-off - Tax - Government - Income - Kidnapping - Finland

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Census data is another area where such trade-offs become apparent. Accurate data is useful for planning future services (whether commercial or public sector), on the other hand, almost all censuses are released only in a way which does not allow identification of specific individuals. Often this is done by randomly altering the data and directly reducing its accuracy.

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On the other hand sometimes false trade-offs are made. Identity card systems which clearly reduce privacy, are often sold as a method of increasing security. Strong arguments have been made by security experts such as Bruce Schneier, however, that these systems in fact reduce security and are a form of "security theatre".

Related Topics:
Identity card - Bruce Schneier - Security theatre

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