The right to privacy online is linked essentially to one’s ability
to control disclosure of personal identity. This ability to control
access to your identity is easy in the physical world: We not
only decide who we interact with but our personal details are
not often in danger of exposure during simple activities such as
walking around town. We normally do not even provide our
names unless requested (unless at a conference where no one
seems to mind wearing name tags with our personal and company
info for all to see). In the Internet the opposite is true—
almost anyone willing to invest a little bit of effort can easily
uncover the digital footprints left on any site you’ve visited at
any date in the past.
This ability to control and hide one’s identity is critical in
maintaining a society that is capable of protecting freedom of
expression. When government or other organizations decide
that simply visiting and viewing certain information sites is a
threat, the possibility of censorship takes away one of the most
important powers of the Internet—freedom of expression.
Individuals with differing political, religious, or lifestyle beliefs
can use the power of the Internet to protect and educate others
without the fear of censorship or punishment only if privacy
is allowed. The transparency of the Web can be unforgiving,
but never a complete picture of the whole story. Historical data
that shows mistakes in an individual’s past may not include
enough of the data needed to paint a true picture. (PS: Will
someone please tell the insurance company that the Ben and
Jerry’s Ice Cream wasn’t for me and that my increased weight
is really in error. They recorded my weight in kg instead of
pounds; besides, I really have been hitting the gym, I just
haven’t swiped my card every time, OK?) 191