Digital Privacy

Roberto J. González

Roberto J. González

San José State University, United States

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Abstract

This entry summarizes anthropological perspectives on digital privacy and digital surveillance. It begins with a brief history of digital privacy, from electronic eavesdropping in the late 1800s, to wiretapping in the 1900s, to internet hacking in the present era. It then considers how the loss of digital privacy often occurs when users either willingly or unwittingly provide information to tech firms that profit from its commercialization. The entry concludes with a discussion of possible futures, including organized efforts to protect data privacy by fighting against digital surveillance.

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