Wednesday, November 21, 2012

7. Extra Credit: Street Ghost and Privacy

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From: Street Ghost from the week of 10/15

Google street view has always been a part of one of the greatest parts in the fight of invasion of privacy. The rules about invasion of privacy though are changing. New technologies are said to be an invasion of privacy because they are unexpected and because of very specific aspects of what is seen through the cameras on Google’s cars. In order for a large number of technologies to move forward the rules of invasion of property need to be changed. The current view is from a time where people did not have any of their information out on the internet and they were essentially anonymous all the time. This view is now a barrier to technology because new technologies will not function in a way that is quick enough and convenient enough for the common person without their personal information stored beforehand. Most people nowadays are changing their view on privacy to be accepting of storing their information. The problem then becomes why is the information being used in ways that the user did not intent? Why are pictures being stored on servers thousands of miles away just because that person uses a certain site? Why can a person have their information shared or their pictures used without their consent? This is the crux of the privacy vs. technology war. Sites such as streetghosts are using pictures without consent because they feel that the artistic perspective behind their works is more important than that person’s privacy. This is another issue of convenience. The project itself is not bad or particularly damaging to the people whose pictures are posted, but why is the only way to complete this project to use pictures taken without consent? The project is banking on the people whose pictures they are using not to know of the project of that their pictures are being used. Invasions of privacy are now possible if the user does not know that their information is being used. This wrap around is why the privacy war has started.

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