[Reader-list] Fwd: 'For Their Eyes Only' by Arun Kumar

[Asit Das]

http://www.computerworld.in/opinion/their-eyes-only-111512013


 *For Their Eyes Only*

By Arun Kumar, 19-Jun-2013

Most governments and some organizations are using IT to play Big Brother.
Are technological advancements and legislative indifference pushing privacy
to extinction?


With the progress in technology, which admittedly no one should grudge,
what hope does the common man have about protecting his or her individual
privacy?
In the movie Ocean’s Eleven, there is a scene towards the end when Julia
Roberts tells Andy Garcia, “You of all people should know that in your
hotel there is always someone watching.” How ironic that what happens in
reel life is transpiring in real life.
For those of you not fully acquainted with the latest happenings, here is a
primer on some recent revelations. The US government, through a top-secret
programme called PRISM, has got direct access to the servers of Internet
giants such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Skype, AOL, Facebook
etcetera, which allows government officials to collect material—including
search history, e-mail content, file transfers, live chats, and more. Not
just that. There is also a top-secret court order compelling telecom
provider Verizon to turn over the telephone records of millions of US
customers.
These details were revealed by the UK newspaper The Guardian. And what is
interesting is that this program is not something new. It has been in
existence since 2007. It’s just that we are finding about it after six
years.
Though all the companies whose servers are being tapped for private or
confidential data—according to The Guardian—vehemently deny knowledge of
any such program, the fact is that with or without their knowledge, such an
operation has been going on for the last six years.
However, make no mistake. This kind of snooping is not just limited to the
US government—which ostensibly in its quest to gather all possible
information to track terrorist activities is—trampling all over an
individual’s privacy.
Almost every government worth its salt does similar things. The only
difference is that while some are sophisticated and secretive in their
approach, others, like the Indian government, are simply blatant and
arrogant about it. And we would be naïve to believe that only governments
engage in these kinds of activities. Businesses are not far behind and are
equally guilty of the same.
However, what makes this kind of a “Big Brother” activity possible is the
advancement in technology, which enables faster, easier, and ironically,
even secure communications. At the same time, the very technology also
provides governments or big businesses with deep pockets and even deeper
connections with access to personal and private communication details of
unsuspecting citizens.
This was highlighted about a dozen years ago in 2000 by A. Michael
Froomkin, professor of Law at the University of Miami School of Law, in a
paper aptly titled The Death of Privacy?, published in the Stanford Law
Review. In his paper, Froomkin states, “The rapid deployment of
privacy-destroying technologies by governments and businesses threatens to
make informational privacy obsolete.”
He goes on to describe a range of current technologies and activities to
which the law has yet to respond effectively, which include routine
collection of transactional data, automated surveillance in public places,
and deployment of biometric technology among others. He concludes by
saying, “Given the rapid pace at which privacy-destroying technologies are
being invented and deployed, a legal response must come soon, or it will
indeed be too late.”
And since the paper was published, the use of technology to monitor, track,
and analyze almost every movement and communication of people has only
increased. Just imagine the number of cameras that are installed at
airports, traffic signals, inside and outside public and private buildings,
the various databases like National Population Register, UID, and wiretaps
like Radia tapes. And surely, there are more such examples.
But, in which direction have the legislations progressed since then?
Unfortunately, in the exact opposite direction. Governments are only
enacting laws that require citizens to divulge more data or give the
government the right to snoop—such as the FISA Amendments Act in the case
of the US government.
So, with the progress in technology, which admittedly no one should grudge,
and no hope in sight as far as laws and regulations are concerned, what
hope does the common man  have about protecting his or her individual
privacy?
Well, the answer is simple—in today’s world there is no such thing as
privacy. It's dead. You can only run, but can’t hide.Remember, there is
always someone watching, and perhaps even listening.

- See more at:
http://www.computerworld.in/opinion/their-eyes-only-111512013#sthash.IH2MFyXD.dpuf

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