Senior Intelligence Official Wants Americans to Redefine, Expect Less Privacy

Posted by Lindsay Beyerstein, Majikthise at 6:26 AM on November 13, 2007.

This post, written by Lindsay Beyerstein, originally appeared on Majikthise

Via Spencer Ackerman at TPM, we learn that the deputy director of national intelligence says that citizens need to redefine privacy:

Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguard people's private communications and financial information.,/blockquote>

Kerr's comments come as Congress is taking a second look at the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. [AP]

Kerr argues that anonymity is outmoded because some people have chosen to disclose some information to some trusted sources:

Millions of people in this country -- particularly young people -- already have surrendered anonymity to social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, and to Internet commerce. These sites reveal to the public, government and corporations what was once closely guarded information, like personal statistics and credit card numbers.

"Those two generations younger than we are have a very different idea of what is essential privacy, what they would wish to protect about their lives and affairs. And so, it's not for us to inflict one size fits all," said Kerr, 68. "Protecting anonymity isn't a fight that can be won. Anyone that's typed in their name on Google understands that." [AP]

That's the worst argument I've heard in a long time.

People give their personal information to their associates and business partners, just as they've always done. "Give" is the operative word here.

If I choose to disclose my credit card information to an online retailer, it's because I trust them to safeguard that information. The fact that the government and some (other) criminals might steal that information has no bearing on my right to privacy. Stealing is stealing.

Kerr's argument is analogous to the rapist's assertion his victim was "asking for it" because she was out late in a short skirt, or because she enjoyed an active, consensual sex life.

Tagged as: civil liberties, privacy, rights and liberties

Lindsay Beyerstein a New York writer blogging at Majikthise.