Are you concerned about the potential breach of personal, identifiable information? Or are you not worried? Read this article by Pew Research Center on how Americans view data privacy.
Please share your experiences -- or those of someone you know -- where privacy was compromised. What was the impact? This can include social media privacy, data breaches, or a sense of being monitored and surveilled by technology.
To do this:
Take out a sheet of paper or a blank document
Reflect on the question prompt, and answer the question on your document.
Spend about 10 - 15 minutes on this activity. Consider the ways in which digital privacy has or can effect your own life, or the lives of those around you.
Questions to consider:
Should schools and universities have the right to monitor students' online activities, including emails and social media, on school-provided devices and networks?
What are the implications here for privacy versus safety?
With colleges and potential employers increasingly looking at social media profiles, what are the privacy implications for students? Should there be limits on how this information can be used in academic and professional decision-making?
As technology becomes more integrated into learning environments, what privacy risks do students face? How can schools balance the use of technology for educational purposes with the right to student privacy?
Have you ever walked down the street and noticed that you are being surveilled? Do you think this poses a threat to your privacy, or is this a wider issue related to national security? How much of your own privacy and surveillance do you get to control? Read this article by Slobogin, discussing the panoptic effects of government camera surveillance.
Consider your daily exposure to surveillance cameras. With a drawing, of any digital tools you prefer, illustrate the current state of surveillance as you see it reflected in society today. How pervasive have surveillance technologies become? What do they signify about privacy and security in our daily lives? Use your imagination, and express your views.
Questions to consider:
Why do governments and entities rush to install surveillance cameras in the streets and nearly everywhere else?
Do people have the right to anonymity, and should they object, or is it beyond their capacity to do so?
What would happen if we did not have such surveillance cameras in our communities today?
We now face a new challenge: algorithms and AI. Algorithms monitor our activities and privacy, gathering extensive data about us. Watch this discussion to learn more about how society can address issues of data security, surveillance, and privacy. What do you think the role of politics and jurisdiction is in technology development? This video will explain more.
After watching portions of this discussion, what are the main takeaways that have provoked thought? What do you want to reflect on? Write a reflection of 150 words maximum, and develop one discussion question you would ask to others studying the Digital Humanities.
Questions to consider:
Do algorithms and technology companies now possess disproportionate levels of control over our privacy and personal data?
To what extend is resistance or deviation possible? Is it futile?
Should we bear responsibility for shielding our data from alogrithmic intrusion? If so, does the mechanism required for such protection exist--or is this one big, profound puzzle yet to be solved?