Big brother is watching: LiveSimplicity discussion forum

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Since the increase in the level of terrorism throughout the world, we've seen an increased level of security, however it seems that we are sacrificing our privacy.. Are we moving toward the Orwellian view of the world? Is life becoming more complex as a result of our loss of freedom?

View A

I want my privacy. Increased security does not necessarily prevent wrong doing.

View B

Privacy is the cost of feeling safe and secure. I'm willing to sacrifice a certain level of privacy in order to ensure my safety.

5 comment(s) so far

jasnmb thinks: Ben Franklin once said "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

In the end, once freedom and privacy are exchanged for security, there is no turning back and we are truly faced with the world of Orwell in 1984.

afzilla thinks: Leave me alone. Just let me do whatever I want. I am big enough and ugly enough to make my own decisions and, believe it or not, they wont be to kill, rape and pillage. If I was in the situation where i had to, then that should be addressed at its root, not the consequences of it. ie crime. I do not feel more safe when all my information and movements are on a database which so many people can access. I feel violated.

JBonnin thinks: Before this accentuated increase of terrorism I was sure we were getting much more closer to Brave New World than Orwell's 1984. Now I do have my doubts... maybe a mixture of both?

DaveB thinks: I want criminals to get caught.

So I don't have a problem with security cameras in public places and even DNA databases.

There are thousands of murders and rapes etc that are never solved.

The ultimate deterrent for a criminal is knowing that they won't get away with it.

PhilipsPrivacyOfficer thinks: Is privacy only an issue between governments and their citizens? Isn't it also an issue between businesses and their customers or employees, as well as between individuals among each other, whether they are family members, friends or just complete strangers ?? Shouldn't technology take the privacy and security interests of end-users into account, and be developed, integrated and used applying the Privacy-by-Design principle?? This is especially relevant for new technologies like RFID, sensor-technology, Web 2.0, ubiquitous computing and Ambient Intelligence. We need to focus on the privacy issues of these new technologies and discuss how they impact individuals in their roles of family members, friends, consumers, employees, citizens, and strangers, and find solutions that are shining examples of both Simplicity as well as Privacy-by-Design.