The right to privacy: should people have complete privacy, or should the state be able to investigate their private communication, or their employers?

By

Tommy Wong

Topics

What does privacy means to people? Should people have complete privacy? Patriot Act Investigation on private communication Investigation on employers Conclusion

What does privacy means to people?

Privacy means different thing to different people, and everyone takes a different approach to protecting it.

Nowadays, the debate on privacy is largely a question of the nature and extent of personal information about the person that may be collected, stored, and used.

Privacy (continue…)

What information can be collected? What context? In what way you control or access any

information that is collected? If information is collected for one purpose,

may it be disclosed for another purpose? If personal information is collected, will it be

stored or kept in a secure manner?

Privacy (continue…)

These questions remains unknown as different people, business firms or even the government will have their own thought on how to use your personal information once they have it.

Result from these are that the more information is exposed, the more you are to become a victim of theft.

Therefore, the ability to control information about oneself is one of the defining concerns of the public at the beginning of the 21st century.

Should people have complete privacy?

As technologies becomes one of the most important thing for human beings to live, with all kinds of information flowing through the internet (including personal details), and communication systems, there are conflict between traditional ‘fair play’ and protection for people in the state since then.

Due to the devastating and reprehensible acts of terrorism committed against the United States on September 11, 2001, which has greatly affected people lives, and perhaps the way of living.

Complete privacy? (continue…)

This action from terrorists has encountered invasions to people’s privacy.

Enact of Patriot Act– Expend government power to access

Personal records Search your home Monitor your internet Emails Phone usage Etc…

Patriot Act

Act designed to expand the resources available to law enforcement officials to investigate and prevent both international and domestic terrorism

Fill the hole in existing laws to fight terrorism

Investigation on private communication

Individuals are free to share their personal secrets with those who they trust. These people could be:– A member of family – Personal friends– Etc…

Private communication? (continue…)

Privacy encourages rest, reflection, experimentation and independent action.

With communication being investigated by the government, it seems that there are no freedom.

Investigation on employers

Businesses are always aware of privacy for their customers.

According to the 2003 Customer Information Protection Survey, 92% of those surveyed said they would cease doing business with company that reported three or fewer privacy violations.

Also privacy are one of the attraction for employing top talents for the company.

Conclusion

You must be in a position which you have as much control as possible over your personal information