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The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom

by David Brin
The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom

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ISBN13: 9780738201443
ISBN10: 0738201448



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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

In New York and Baltimore, police cameras scan public areas twenty-four hours a day. Huge commercial databases track you finances and sell that information to anyone willing to pay. Host sites on the World Wide Web record every page you view, and “smart” toll roads know where you drive. Every day, new technology nibbles at our privacy.Does that make you nervous? David Brin is worried, but not just about privacy. He fears that society will overreact to these technologies by restricting the flow of information, frantically enforcing a reign of secrecy. Such measures, he warns, wont really preserve our privacy. Governments, the wealthy, criminals, and the techno-elite will still find ways to watch us. But well have fewer ways to watch them. Well lose the key to a free society: accountability.The Transparent Society is a call for “reciprocal transparency.” If police cameras watch us, shouldnt we be able to watch police stations? If credit bureaus sell our data, shouldn't we know who buys it? Rather than cling to an illusion of anonymity-a historical anomaly, given our origins in close-knit villages-we should focus on guarding the most important forms of privacy and preserving mutual accountability. The biggest threat to our freedom, Brin warns, is that surveillance technology will be used by too few people, now by too many.A society of glass houses may seem too fragile. Fearing technology-aided crime, governments seek to restrict online anonymity; fearing technology-aided tyranny, citizens call for encrypting all data. Brins shows how, contrary to both approaches, windows offer us much better protection than walls; after all, the strongest deterrent against snooping has always been the fear of being spotted. Furthermore, Brin argues, Western culture now encourages eccentricity-were programmed to rebel! That gives our society a natural protection against error and wrong-doing, like a bodys immune system. But “social T-cells” need openness to spot trouble and get the word out. The Transparent Society is full of such provocative and far-reaching analysis.The inescapable rush of technology is forcing us to make new choices about how we want to live. This daring book reminds us that an open society is more robust and flexible than one where secrecy reigns. In an era of gnat-sized cameras, universal databases, and clothes-penetrating radar, it will be more vital than ever for us to be able to watch the watchers. With reciprocal transparency we can detect dangers early and expose wrong-doers. We can gauge the credibility of pundits and politicians. We can share technological advances and news. But all of these benefits depend on the free, two-way flow of information.

Synopsis

A respected futurist advances an argument sure to cause debate—in a wired world, the best way to preserve our freedom will be to give up our privacy.

Description

Includes bibliographical references (p. 336-368) and index.

About the Author

David Brin has a Ph.D. in physics, but is best known for his science fiction. His books include the New York Times bestseller The Uplift War, Hugo Award-winner Startide Rising, and The Postman. He lives in Encinitas, California.

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Product Details

ISBN:
9780738201443
Binding:
Trade Paperback
Publication date:
06/01/1999
Publisher:
Basic Books
Language:
English
Pages:
384
Height:
.90IN
Width:
5.60IN
Thickness:
1.00
LCCN:
99061238
Age Range:
18 and up
Grade Range:
13 and up
Number of Units:
1
Copyright Year:
1999
Series Volume:
4
Author:
David Brin
Author:
David Brin
Author:
David Brin
Author:
David Brin
Author:
David Brin
Subject:
Social aspects
Subject:
Privacy, right of
Subject:
Secrecy.
Subject:
Technology
Subject:
Freedom of information
Subject:
Sociology-Future Studies
Subject:
Responsibility
Subject:
Information technology

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Add to Cart
$29.32
New Trade Paperback
Ships in 1 to 3 days
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