Brave new thinking in a brave new world

The traditional privacy protection model focuses on user control at the point of data collection, but Malcolm Crompton says it is time to change our thinking on privacy to better serve individuals.

When will we shift from outdated thinking on privacy?

2012 is the 10-year anniversary of Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing initiative (TwC), which began when Bill Gates sent around a companywide memo emphasising security, privacy and availability as the keys to instil trust in computing. To mark the occasion, on February 28 the Corporate Vice-President of Microsoft TwC, Scott Charney, delivered a paper entitled Trustworthy Computing Next, which reflected on the past 10 years and the new challenges that lie ahead. His observations on the latest developments in technology and their consequences on privacy are particularly noteworthy.

US privacy in the age of big data, mobile and the cloud

This year the United States took a big step in the protection of data by announcing an online privacy plan that would give consumers more control over how their personal data is collected, shared and used by websites and advertisers. Malcolm Crompton says the next big step will be implementation and global interoperability.

Will the boat come in for privacy law reform in 2012?

Throughout 2011 we saw some promise for better, updated privacy laws in many parts of the world, with changes afoot in the EU, the USA and Australia. While in the end things were still ‘promising’, 2012 looks set for some real progress, according to Malcolm Crompton.  

Self-regulation a way forward in Cloud computing: GAP Workshop report

On 24 June 2011, GAP, in collaboration with the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and a number of industry partners, convened a workshop on Cloud computing for a select audience of policy makers, industry leaders, civil society and academia.

Real Names – to insist or not to insist? A cloudy issue…

When Google+ launched, Google insisted that its members use real names and aggressively closed accounts that it considered were not based on real names.

This reignited a debate that has periodically flared around the internet.

Answering it wisely will be essential if the individual citizen is going to take full advantage of the wonderful opportunities of Cloud Computing.

Privacy law reform in Australia gets going again!

The process of reviewing and reforming the main law protecting privacy in Australia, the Privacy Act 1988, had all but stalled by 30 June this year.

Security + privacy = successful business

How you manage your online security and information is an important part of running a business. As a former Australian Privacy Commissioner I believe that while Cyber Security and privacy are different, they depend on each other.

Security is about ensuring that you and your company have control of the information in the business and that it is neither being stolen by someone nor are you losing it. Having established control, privacy is what you do with the staff and customer information you have in the organisation.

Usability, User Control, Safety and Privacy – Help is at hand!

We have seen the incredible impact of the iPhone and iPad on the every day lives of so many of us.  Overnight, they completely reset our expectations of benchmark usability.

As a result, many of us are collecting and sharing more information than ever before.  Including personal information.

But what are the safety implications of this new ease and appeal?

Like a new, fast car, are we being seduced into driving too fast?  Do these new devices have sufficient safety features and are we sufficiently well educated and experienced to drive at the new speeds available to us?

Privacy has made it onto the agenda of world leaders

It seems to have been a long time coming, but as predicted earlier in Getting closer to Base Camp: the sherpa’s are unpacking the tents, it has arrived.

Privacy has now been placed on the agenda of the world’s leadership. It has been inching its way there for some time in forums that get very close to the leadership.

Getting closer to Base Camp: the sherpa’s are unpacking the tents

Privacy will finally be on the agenda of the next G8 meeting. In an encouraging sign G8 leaders’ ‘sherpas’ (or policy emissaries) are on the job to help them scale the issue.

I wrote a blog in March titled Towards a Global Privacy Framework: Arriving at Base Camp.  The basis for making this statement was that, "Privacy is becoming a global leadership issue at last" because the first announcement had just come out from the CNIL that privacy would be on the agenda of the next G8 meeting for the first time.

Big Data: Our Future or Censor?

Can we gain from the enormous economic benefits of Big Data while maintaining privacy? Is it time for an ethical approach to Search and Personalisation?

We have a choice in front of us:  Big Data is emerging as one of THE Big Issues.

It has immense potential to provide us with economic gain, offer individuals free and made-just-for-them services, drive innovation and much, much more.

So where is the catch?

And yes, there is a catch or two.  Just like so many ‘too good to be true’ stories, we need to be careful that this one too doesn’t end up that way.

Here are three evidence points.

Don’t Tread on My Privacy

One troubling implication for privacy with technological and policy development today is the unyielding belief that if somebody considers that something enhances our lives, it should be done.

We are living in a world where our ability to remain private is rapidly diminishing.  A recent article highlights that through data analytics, corporations will be able to track our activities, habits and locations with unprecedented precision.