A grounding exploration of how our online prowess shapes the very essence of democracy
The electronic age compels us to confront the delicate balance between the convenience of constant connectivity and the protection of personal privacy, security, and democracy itself. Presented as a two-fold concern of digital and civic literacy, surveillance and privacy expert Heidi Boghosian argues that our fight to uphold democracy must extend to the online world.
As "smart" citizens, our best chance of thriving in the digital era lies in taking care of our "smart" selves as diligently as we maintain our smart devices. In the same way that smart devices can disclose private information when not adequately secured, our online presence can lead to unintentional data exposure or identity theft. That entails a commitment to learning digital literacy and cyber hygiene from the first moment we engage with technology. Mastering the fundamentals of civics-the rights and responsibilities of citizens-rounds out the democratic assignment. With AI and machine learning poised to play a transformative role in our 21st century lives, we, as humans, have our own generative learning journey to master.
Drawing parallels between Americans and their 'smart' devices, Cyber Citizens sheds light on the delicate balance between connectivity and privacy to uphold a truly democratic society.
An accessible guide that breaks down the complex issues around mass surveillance and data privacy and explores the negative consequences it can have on individual citizens and their communities.
No one is exempt from data mining: by owning a smartphone, or using social media or a credit card, we hand over private data to corporations and the government. We need to understand how surveillance and data collection operates in order to regain control over our digital freedoms-and our lives.
Attorney and data privacy expert Heidi Boghosian unpacks widespread myths around the seemingly innocuous nature of surveillance, sets the record straight about what government agencies and corporations do with our personal data, and offers solutions to take back our information. "I Have Nothing to Hide" is both a necessary mass surveillance overview and a reference book. It addresses the misconceptions around tradeoffs between privacy and security, citizen spying, and the ability to design products with privacy protections. Boghosian breaks down misinformation surrounding 21 core myths about data privacy, including:
• "Surveillance makes the nation safer."
• "No one wants to spy on kids."
• "Police don't monitor social media."
• "Metadata doesn't reveal much about me."
• "Congress and the courts protect us from surveillance."
• "There's nothing I can do to stop surveillance."
By dispelling myths related to surveillance, this book helps readers better understand what data is being collected, who is gathering it, how they're doing it, and why it matters.
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