Privacy does not have to be a zero-sum game. Dr Ann Cavoukian is a three-term Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, Canada. Dr Cavoukian does not think that we have to choose between privacy and everything else. We can have privacy and meet business interests, security and public safety. She argues that is easier to take a privacy by design approach, taking privacy into account from the beginning than to try to think about privacy after the fact.
She argues that is easier to take a Privacy by Design approach than to try to achieve privacy after the fact. If we bake privacy into our design from the beginning, we can prevent many of the privacy breaches. Recently, Cybersecurity breaches have been on the rise. Companies can go bankrupt from the many class action lawsuits that have come about because of security breaches. A security breach can sink a once successful company.
In today world, privacy is our sleeping dragon. As a privacy champion, Dr. Cavoukian argues that we need to move away from thinking about privacy as a zero-sum game. We need to change the conversation from it being about either privacy or security.
In this podcast, Ann describes the German notion of informational self-determination. Informational self-determination refers to the right of the individual to decide what information about him/herself should be communicated to others and under what circumstances. Ann is working to disrupt dualistic thinking around privacy. She wants to open doors so people can have privacy today and well into the future.
Links in the podcast:
Visit the International Council on Global Privacy and Security by Design.
This podcast was recorded over Skype. Both speakers were in different locations.
Music provided by Clint Harewood you contact him via email, Facebook or LinkedIn. Email – clint.harewood (at) gmail.com