Putting Privacy in Perspective

This book provides a unique evolutionary perspective on the privacy debate by examining how technological advances enabled, and subsequently are eroding, a societal expectation of privacy in contemporary American society. The book is organised around Westin''s four facets of privacy -- solitude, intimacy, anonymity, and reserve. In separate chapters, it examines the evolution of each facet from Colonial times through modern day. This work views privacy not as a sacred societal right guaranteed by the founding fathers, but as an accidental by-product of industrialisation, dependent upon particular environmental conditions for its survival. Because privacy is a societal issue, this book will appeal to a wide audience, including the general public. It will be of particular interest to computer professionals, legal scholars, libertarians, policy makers and any others who have an interest in the privacy debate. This book forces readers to examine privacy from a generalist perspective. The current privacy debate is fragmented -- computer professionals focus on the implications of particular innovations; libertarians debate the boundaries of privacy; business managers ponder the commercial and employment implications of privacy policy; and legal scholars discuss the viability and enforceability of current or proposed legislation. This book uniquely enables a broader perspective on privacy that facilitates a common understanding of the issue. PPP will be a cover-to-cover read, but not one that is subsequently placed on a shelf and never again referenced. PPP will be the "go to" book to enable debate and research on the evolution of privacy.