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Ever since the tragic events of 9/11, and the terrorist acts that have followed, privacy has increasingly been cast as an antagonist of public safety. This zero-sum, win/lose paradigm of privacy vs. public safety is not only wrong, it is extremely dangerous, and must be brought to an end.  It is wrong because privacy and public safety can indeed co-exist, resulting in greater efficacy for both. It is dangerous because in the tension between privacy and public safety, privacy will always lose, and this loss will directly endanger not only freedom, but the prosperity that we enjoy as a free and open society.

Recent advances in encryption technology, such as more secure mobile access and end-to-end encryption, have revamped the playing field by making it more difficult for governments to readily access encrypted personal information at will. Governments are growing increasingly concerned about these technological trends and are now calling for the creation of “backdoors” into encrypted content, that is, special “keys” reserved for them to allow unfettered access into people’s encrypted communications – in other words, greater expansion of the surveillance network blanketing all individuals in society.

In addition, massive technological changes in all things connected via the emerging “Internet of Things,” which some are calling the “Internet of Everything” are coming to the fore. While such innovation has the potential to dramatically improve our lives, it also has a dystopian side in that it may create the opportunity for greater subversive surveillance, at an unimaginable scale, which can overlay our communications and activities behind the scenes, without the knowledge or consent of those involved.

As a result of all of this, we as a society are at a nexus. Should we continue down this road of more intrusive surveillance and less privacy, we will not only become less safe as a society, but will also become less prosperous. Respect for the privacy of all individuals in a society not only forms the bedrock of freedom but also of innovation and its resulting prosperity. We have the capability to reverse this ominous zero-sum technological trend. As a society we can develop systems that protect privacy AND public safety, privacy AND business interests.  These are positive sum solutions which we must promote and develop, not the freedom-killing zero-sum directions of the past.

This is why GPS by Design Council is not only timely -- it is critically important to society as a whole.

We must demonstrate that we can indeed have both privacy and public safety, otherwise our freedom and prosperity will be forfeited, which in our view, is simply too high a price to pay.

Privacy revolves around personal control over one's data. As individuals, we must have both privacy and security, in equal measure. We need not give up on privacy, we simply need to embed it into design, along with security. By joining the GPS by Design International movement you can become a part of achieving this end:  here’s to the end of zero-sum paradigms, and a future filled with privacy, security, freedom, innovation and prosperity!

If you have questions, comments or suggestions about our organization, the work we do, or Privacy by Design in general, we’d love to hear from you. We’re always ready to hear from like-minded people who want a future filled with privacy, security, freedom, innovation and prosperity. Email us directly at admin@gpsbydesign.org, or fill out our Contact Us form here.