Why no one cares about privacy anymore

news.cnet.com ^ | 3-12-2010 | Declan McCullagh

[Whenifhow]

Google co-founder Sergey Brin adores the company's social network called Google Buzz.

Snip

You might call Brin's enthusiasm premature, especially since privacy criticisms prompted Google to make a series of quick changes a few days later. Activists have asked the Federal Trade Commission to "compel" Google to reprogram Buzz a third time to adhere to the no doubt well-informed specifications of Beltway lawyers. A class action lawsuit filed on behalf of an aggrieved second-year law student is underway.

Snip

Much of our modern concept of privacy can be traced to a 1890 law review article by Samuel Warren and future Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis. They complained that "the law must afford some remedy for the unauthorized circulation of portraits of private persons" and sympathized with those who were "victims of journalistic enterprise."

Snip

That change drew the same wails of protest that greeted Google Buzz. Advocacy groups wrote an alarmist note to federal regulators demanding an injunction on grounds that the changes "harm the public interest"--effectively substituting a small clique's privacy preferences for everyone else's. The ACLU announced a letter-writing campaign. The Federal Trade Commission noted, ominously, that Facebook's changes are "of particular interest to us." About the only thing missing--no doubt a press release is being drafted this very moment--is a class action lawsuit to enrich plaintiffs' attorneys while resulting in no measurable changes to Facebook.com.

Snip

One reason why Zuckerberg's who-needs-privacy argument works is that, through a growing collection of these services with unusual vowel counts, we're choosing what to share. Unlike interactions with government snoops, these are voluntary: Give up a bit of privacy to get a service for free, and everyone benefits (except perhaps rivals that used to charge).

[Whenifhow]

Related article posted today:

Twitter is watching you... New technology tells the world where you're tweeting from

http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/817158-twitter-is-watching-you-new-technology-tells-the-world-where-youre-tweeting-from

[Buckeye McFrog]

concerns over privacy create strange bedfellows....for example, being forced to side with the ACLU over allegedly Conservative members of Congress like Lindsey Grahmnesty.

[newbie 10-21-00]

I guess the non-response to the post proves the point. Who knew...

[Whenifhow]

I think most people are totally focused on Health Care for now.