Presentation given by Irina Shklovski, IT University of Copenhagen, at Open & Agile Smart Cities' annual Connected Smart Cities & Communities Conference 2020 on 23 January in Brussels, Belgium.

1. The Tradeoff of Connectivity:
The problem of privacy
Irina Shklovski
Technologies in Practice
IT University of Copenhagen Enredos by Daniel Canogar

2. What’s privacy?

3. What’s privacy?
The right to be let alone
– Warren & Brandeis, 1890:
a principle which may be invoked to protect the
privacy of the individual from invasion either by
the too enterprising press, the photographer, or
the possessor of any other modern device for
recording or reproducing scenes or sounds.

4. Privacy as a human right?
Article 8 of the European Convention on Human
Rights provides a right to respect for one's "private and
family life, his home and his correspondence", subject
to certain restrictions that are "in accordance with
law" and "necessary in a democratic society".
Wikipedia entry on Article 8
What’s privacy?

5. What’s privacy?

6. Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to
seclude themselves, or information about themselves,
and thereby express themselves selectively.
What’s privacy?

7. Is privacy an “ability” or a “state”?
Ability – internal capacity to act
State – a set of enabling conditions
What’s privacy?

8. The state of privacy discourse in the digital world
Enredos by Daniel Canogar
Most discussions about privacy and personal data today
rely on two assumptions:
– that we should like to have control over data about us
(whatever these might be)
– that it is possible to have personal control over data
about us

9. Privacy and data
Enredos by Daniel Canogar
Our data are being harvested and used by the
organizations behind the systems which we rely
upon and largely without much of our input but
ostensibly with our consent
YOU must take responsibility for your data and
prevent this from happening!

10. Privacy and data
Enredos by Daniel Canogar
YOU must take responsibility for your data and
prevent this from happening!
This is an impossible demand and an underhanded
shift of responsibility onto the individual
The focus on giving the individual control shifts
attention from the responsibilities of actors that
enable data creation and benefit from its use

11. Privacy and data
Enredos by Daniel Canogar
The idea of individual control over personal data is
attractive in theory and terrible in practice
PRIVACY IS A RED HERRING, A WRONG QUESTION

12. Privacy and data
Enredos by Daniel Canogar
So what’s the right question?

13. Privacy and data
Enredos by Daniel Canogar
Any exchange of data is a relational act:
an intricate negotiation of obligations and
responsibilities given disclosures and knowledge
“Privacy fundamentally entails relationships of
respect”
– J. Nedelsky, 1990

14. Privacy and data
Enredos by Daniel Canogar
The right question:
What are the obligations and responsibilities
implied in each data transaction?
What SHOULD these be?

15. But what now?
Individuals must have options and have the ability
to protect the content we want from prying eyes
BUT
The care for the data we all generate should NOT
rest entirely on individual shoulders
Need political will to create conditions that enable
people to live full lives without having the constant
worry about data
Enredos by Daniel Canogar

16. Thank you!
Enredos by Daniel Canogar
Irina Shklovski
irsh@itu.dk
IT University Copenhagen
Check out project VIRT-EU
Virteuproject.eu