In our digital world, we are confused by privacy - what is public, what is private? We are also challenged by it, the conditions of privacy so uncertain we become unsure about our rights to it. We may choose to share personal information, but often do so on the assumption that it won't be re-shared, sold, or passed on to other parties without our knowing. In the eighteenth century, philosopher Jeremy Bentham wrote about a new model for a prison called a Panopticon, where inmates surrounded the jailers, always under watch. Have we built ourselves a digital Panopticon? Are we the guards or the prisoners, captive or free? Can we be both? When Kim Kardashian makes the minutiae of her life available online, which is she? With great rigour, this important book draws on a Kantian philosophy of ethics and legal frameworks to examine where we are and to suggest steps - conceptual and practical - to ensure the future is not dystopian. Privacy is one of the defining issues of our time; this lively book explains why this is so, and the ways in which we might protect it.

The internet is unprecedented and ubiquitous. Everyone can watch everyone and be watched back, now or later, again and again. What does this mean for privacy?

About the Author
Sacha Molitorisz is a former journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald and is now an academic in media, law, and philosophy at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Reviews
"Molitorisz has a mastery of this sprawling and complex topic and has succeeded in navigating the tricky balance between scholarly rigour and accessibility. A well-written, lively, and persuasive book." Colin Bennett, University of Victoria



Book Information
ISBN 9780228002116
Author Sacha Molitorisz
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint McGill-Queen's University Press
Publisher McGill-Queen's University Press
Weight(grams) 454g