Books and journals Case studies Expert Briefings Open Access
Advanced search

After Snowden – the evolving landscape of privacy and technology

Robin Wilton (Technical Outreach Director for Identity and Privacy, Internet Society, Reston, Virginia, USA)

Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society

ISSN: 1477-996X

Publication date: 14 August 2017

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a non-academic perspective on the research reports of the JICES “Post-Snowden” special edition, from the viewpoint of a privacy advocate with an IT background.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper was written after reviewing the country reports for Japan, New Zealand, PRC and Taiwan, Spain and Sweden, as well as the Introduction paper. The author has also drawn on online sources such as news articles to substantiate his analysis of attitudes to technical privacy protection post-Snowden.

Findings

Post-Snowden, the general perception of threats to online privacy has shifted from a predominant focus on commercial threats to a recognition that government activities, in the sphere of intelligence and national security, also give rise to significant privacy risk. Snowden’s disclosures have challenged many of our assumptions about effective oversight of interception capabilities. Citizens’ expectations in this regard depend partly on national experience of the relationship between citizen and government, and can evolve rapidly. The tension between legitimate law enforcement access and personal privacy remains challenging to resolve.

Originality/value

As a “viewpoint” paper, this submission draws heavily on the author’s experience as a privacy and technology subject-matter expert. Although it therefore contains a higher proportion of opinion than the academic papers in this issue, his hope is that it will stimulate debate and further research.

Keywords

  • Regulation
  • Trust
  • Privacy
  • Data security
  • Law enforcement
  • National security

Citation

Wilton, R. (2017), "After Snowden – the evolving landscape of privacy and technology", Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 328-335. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-02-2017-0010

Download as .RIS

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © Robin Wilton, Internet Society, 2017.

Please note you do not have access to teaching notes

You may be able to access teaching notes by logging in via Shibboleth, Open Athens or with your Emerald account.
Login
If you think you should have access to this content, click the button to contact our support team.
Contact us

To read the full version of this content please select one of the options below

You may be able to access this content by logging in via Shibboleth, Open Athens or with your Emerald account.
Login
To rent this content from Deepdyve, please click the button.
Rent from Deepdyve
If you think you should have access to this content, click the button to contact our support team.
Contact us
Emerald Publishing
  • Opens in new window
  • Opens in new window
  • Opens in new window
  • Opens in new window
© 2021 Emerald Publishing Limited

Services

  • Authors Opens in new window
  • Editors Opens in new window
  • Librarians Opens in new window
  • Researchers Opens in new window
  • Reviewers Opens in new window

About

  • About Emerald Opens in new window
  • Working for Emerald Opens in new window
  • Contact us Opens in new window
  • Publication sitemap

Policies and information

  • Privacy notice
  • Site policies
  • Modern Slavery Act Opens in new window
  • Chair of Trustees governance statement Opens in new window
  • COVID-19 policy Opens in new window
Manage cookies

We’re listening — tell us what you think

  • Something didn’t work…

    Report bugs here

  • All feedback is valuable

    Please share your general feedback

  • Member of Emerald Engage?

    You can join in the discussion by joining the community or logging in here.
    You can also find out more about Emerald Engage.

Join us on our journey

  • Platform update page

    Visit emeraldpublishing.com/platformupdate to discover the latest news and updates

  • Questions & More Information

    Answers to the most commonly asked questions here