Privacy and Civil Liberties - Natalie Meurer

Privacy and Civil Liberties

A collection of 9 posts

Privacy and Civil Liberties

Why Does it Matter if I'm Watched?

If surveillance helps us catch criminals, many naturally wonder why we would want to limit its use. After all, if an innocent man did not realize he was being watched, he could hardly be considered worse off as a result. If anything, he may be safer and proven to be

Privacy and Civil Liberties

Context: The Link between Privacy and Surveillance

When Warren and Brandeis published "The Right to Privacy" in 1890, they didn't get too hung up on definitions. Rather, they defined privacy as "the right to be let alone." This definition would include photographs taken of you without your consent and the right to not be bothered. Yet the

Hello Barbie Moves In

Privacy and Civil Liberties

Hello Barbie Moves In

A scenario where dolls come alive and start talking back to children sounds like a scene from an upcoming horror movie, but the new “Hello Barbie” doll [http://www.amazon.com/Barbie-DKF74-Hello-Doll/dp/B012BIBAA2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448839717&sr=8-1&keywords=Hello+Barbie] has made such

Autonomy or Humanity: Robotic Interrogators, Weaponry, and Police Forces

Few games have inspired such devotion and careful study throughout history as chess. But chess has drastically changed in the past 20 years. The development of computers has enabled chess computer systems that can beat even the greatest grandmasters such as Garry Kasparov [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry_Kasparov]

Data Mining Discrimination: A Hypothetical Case Study

Business Strategy

Data Mining Discrimination: A Hypothetical Case Study

Since I wrote my last post [http://kevinmeurer.com/algorithmic-discrimination-the-world-as-it-is-or-as-it-ought-to-be/] on algorithmic discrimination, I've been asked how these discriminatory patterns actually appear in a computer system. The processes that underlie discrimination and technological exclusion are varied, but in the realm of data mining, some clear pathways exist. I'd like to

Privacy and Civil Liberties Featured

Algorithmic Discrimination: The World as it is or as it Ought to be?

Machine learning and artificial intelligence are driven by numbers. Pure computation. Yet the emergence of artificial intelligence and deep learning approaches to machine learning have raised concerns about the embodied values of technical systems. As Helen Nissenbaum originally noted in a 2001 “Computer” article [http://www.nyu.edu/projects/nissenbaum/

Privacy and Civil Liberties

Bioenhancements and Privacy

Cyborgs have been a staple in the science fiction genre for as long as I can remember. In the academic community, however, many have suggested that the idea of the cyborg, broadly defined as a hybrid of man and machine, is closer to a reality than we might believe. In

Privacy and Civil Liberties

Encryption, the Latest Pew Survey, and the Privacy Paradox

I just finished "The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography" [http://www.amazon.com/The-Code-Book-Science-Cryptography/dp/0385495323] by Simon Singh, and I've been absolutely enthralled by his account of cryptographers and cryptanalysts throughout history. The progression of cryptography from basic substitution ciphers to today's

Privacy and Civil Liberties

On the Uber Privacy Disaster

The recent privacy violations [http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/technology/uber-a-start-up-going-so-fast-it-could-miss-a-turn.html?src=me] by Uber executives are shocking, and they represent an interesting symptom of larger issues. Uber is a great company. They offer a compelling service that pays attention to detail. Uber employees are among the