Page 95 - Privacy in a Cyber Age Policy and Practice

82 PRIVACY IN A CYBER AGE

clearly demonstrated by the fact that people appear on talk shows to reveal
much about themselves, which is a form of exhibitionism. However, there
can be little doubt that corporations, especially new social media companies
led by Facebook, are aiding, abetting, and seeking to legitimate the erosion
of privacy.
The Wall Street Journal editors have argued that these changes in norms
indicate that introducing new laws or regulations to better protect privacy
is not called for. L. Gordon Crovitz pointed out that, as of March 2011, more
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than half of Americans over the age of twelve have Facebook accounts.
He proceeded to ask: “If most Americans are happy to have Facebook
accounts, knowingly trading personal information for other benefits, why
is Washington so focused on new privacy laws? There is little evidence that
people want new rules.” 48
Furthermore, Crovitz argues, consumers value the benefits of information
gathering, which include better-targeted ads, specific recommendations
for customers, and huge troves of data for research (such as in Google Flu
Trends, which tracks search terms about illnesses to assist epidemiologists).
“People are increasingly at ease with sharing personal data in exchange for
other benefits,” he argues. 49
Some public opinion polls show that the American people care a great
deal about their privacy. Others suggest that various segments of the public
vary in their feelings about this right. For example, according to a 2009
survey, 73 to 86 percent of Americans object to the tracking methods used
to personalize their advertisements. Furthermore, the study found that 82
percent of young people, who are generally believed to be apathetic about
privacy, had at some point refused to provide information to a company
because it was too personal. Eighty-six percent of Americans—84 percent
among respondents ages 18 to 24—felt that their permission should be
sought before pictures of them were posted online. 50
Other data reveal a more varied picture. In a 1995 survey, Alan Westin
divided the public into three “camps” over privacy concerns. About 25 percent
of respondents were “privacy fundamentalists” who valued privacy especially
highly; 55 percent were “privacy pragmatists” who adjusted their expecta-
tions based on the relative value of information they provided and their trust
in specific companies; and 20 percent were “privacy unconcerned,” or people
who had no problem with giving out personal information. 51
A 2002 study found that while 70 percent of consumers were concerned
about their privacy, 82 percent were willing to give out personal informa-
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tion in exchange for the chance to win a hundred dollars in a sweepstakes.
The rise in popularity of location-tracking social networking sites such
as Foursquare, Facebook Places, and Gowalla, which offer discounts to
users who log visits to various businesses and restaurants, suggests that