Privacy is one of the most important concepts of our time, yet it is also one of the most elusive. As rapidly changing technology makes information increasingly available, scholars, activists, and policymakers have struggled to define privacy, with many conceding that the task is virtually impossible. In this concise and lucid book, Daniel J. Solove offers a comprehensive overview of the difficulties involved in discussions of privacy and ultimately provides a provocative resolution. He argues that no single definition can be workable, but rather that there are multiple forms of privacy, related to one another by family resemblances. His theory bridges cultural differences and addresses historical changes in views on privacy. Drawing on a broad array of interdisciplinary sources, Solove sets forth a framework for understanding privacy that provides clear, practical guidance for engaging with relevant issues. Understanding Privacy will be an essential introduction to long-standing debates and an invaluable resource for crafting laws and policies about surveillance, data mining, identity theft, state involvement in reproductive and marital decisions, and other pressing contemporary matters concerning privacy.

Privacy is one of the most urgent issues associated with information technology and digital media. This book claims that what people really care about when they complain and protest that privacy has been violated is not the act of sharing information itself—most people understand that this is crucial to social life —but the inappropriate, improper sharing of information. Arguing that privacy concerns should not be limited solely to concern about control over personal information, Helen Nissenbaum counters that information ought to be distributed and protected according to norms governing distinct social contexts—whether it be workplace, health care, schools, or among family and friends. She warns that basic distinctions between public and private, informing many current privacy policies, in fact obscure more than they clarify. In truth, contemporary information systems should alarm us only when they function without regard for social norms and values, and thereby weaken the fabric of social life.

The Internet is great—until someone hacks your accounts or otherwise violates your privacy. This expert book provides a thorough and up-to-date overview of the key issues and risks relative to online privacy and explains how to counter those risks with solutions everyone needs to know. Rampant violation of online privacy is a problem of epic proportions—and impossible to stamp out. Online Privacy: A Reference Handbook provides a comprehensive yet easy-to-understand investigation of the history of and controversies surrounding online privacy. It overviews the most critical issues involving topics such as social networking and online medical records. Along the way, this book shares insights and information from experts active in the field and exposes many misconceptions about what is and isn't considered private in the online world. Authors Dixon and Gellman begin with an overview of online privacy that elucidates why this 21st century issue is so critical. They provide key guideposts throughout the book that allow readers to grasp these complex and ever-changing issues, addressing topics that include what comprises online privacy today, what protections exist in current law, and current challenges in international online privacy. The authors also present practical expert advice, providing measures and strategies that readers can take to protect themselves.

The author of Lying shows how the ethical issues raised by secrets and secrecy in our careers or private lives take us to the heart of the critical questions of private and public morality.

Presenting a concise, yet wide-ranging and contemporary overview of the field, this Advanced Introduction to Privacy Law focuses on how we arrived at our privacy laws, and how the law can deal with new and emerging challenges from digital technologies, social networks and public health crises. This illuminating and interdisciplinary book demonstrates how the history of privacy law has been one of constant adaptation to emerging challenges, illustrating the primacy of the right to privacy amidst a changing social and cultural landscape.