AlexandrosAliferis

MatthewEscobar
PhillipBrelland
ToutouaVang

TheLimitsofPrivacyPost9/11
In1928,TheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStatesheardOlmsteadv.UnitedStates.Roy
Olmsteadwasabootleggerwhowaseventuallycaughtwhenthepoliceuncoveredhisscheme
throughtheuseofwiretappingthephonesofhimandhiscoconspirators.Thepolicearguedthat
theydidnotviolatethefourthamendmentbecausetheydidnotplacetheequipmentinthehome
ofRoyOlmsteadbutinsteadinstalledtheequipmentonthestreetsthatheandhis
coconspiratorslivedon.TheSupremeCourtruledinfavoroftheUnitedStates,decidingthat
thesafetyofthepublicwouldimprovebygrantingpolicetheabilitytoperformsurveillanceand
obtaininformationthroughthesemeansonatechnicality.SupremeCourtJusticeLouisBrandeis
(1928)wroteindissentthat,Therighttobeletalone...therightmostvaluedbycivilizedmen.
Toprotectthatright,everyunjustifiableintrusionbytheGovernmentupontheprivacyofthe
individualmustbedeemedaviolationoftheFourthAmendment(Olmsteadv.UnitedStates,
1928).JusticeBrandeisbeliefthatprivacyshouldbeprotectedatallcostwouldbemadeareality
in1967whenKatzv.UnitedStatesoverturnedOlmsteadv.UnitedStatesandexpandedthe
protectionsgrantedbythefourthandfifthamendment(Katzv.UnitedStates,1967).
Asdetailedabove,thefreedomtoprivacyisusuallyindirectconflictwiththepublics
expectationtosafety.Thisisnotanewconflict,thebalancebetweenpersonalprivacyand
communitysecurityhasbeenarguedmanytimesthroughouthistory.EvenBenjaminFranklin

(1755)tookastandontheissuewriting,ThosewhowouldgiveupessentialLiberty,to
purchasealittletemporarySafety,deserveneitherLibertynorSafety(Ferenstein,2014).Since
theterroristattackontheWorldTradeCenter,thestakeshaveonlyrisenasitwasproventhat
attacksonthatscalecanbeorchestrated.Associety,newtechnology,andthreatstothesafetyof
thepopulace,surface,grow,andchange,wherethelineisdrawnbetweenthesetwovaluesis
constantlyinflux.ThispaperwillexplorethelimitsofprivacybyusingAmataiEtzionis
writingsandBillTancersbook
Click:whatmillionsofpeoplearedoingonlineandwhyit
matters
.
Therearevariousgroupsatstakewhenitcomestoprivacyandsecurity.Therearethose
whowantandvaluetheirprivacyandtherearethosewhowantandvaluetheirsecurity.From
theprivacysidesomethinkofprivacyassecurity.Theyfeelthatiftheycanremainanonymous
intherealworldandvirtualworld,essentiallynoonecanbringharmtotheirreallife.For
exampleapersonalblogwriterbelievestheycangoontheirblogandposttheirpersonalfeelings
aboutatopicanonymouslybecausemaybetheiropinionsarentacceptedamongstlovedones
andpeersandtheydontwanttooffendthem.Nowfromtheperspectivethatsecurityismore
importantthanprivacy.Cyberpolice,basicallytheywouldgoaroundsocialmediawebsites
lookingcyberbullies,butasgoodasthatmayseemitinfringesontwoofourrightsasAmerican
citizensandthatisourrighttofreespeechandourrighttoprivacy.Tosomepeoplethebenefits
outweighthebad.Takedownthosewhoaretryingtointentionallybringdownotherssoundlike
agreatthing,AJune2013pollbythePewResearchCenterforthePeopleandthePressfound
thatyoungpeopleactuallyplacemoreweightonprivacy,relativetonationalsecurity,thanolder
generations(Hooker2014).

InAmitaiEtzionisbookof
TheLimitsofPrivacy
,Etzioniexploresseveralissuestrying
tofigureoutunderwhatcircumstancesisitappropriatetocurbprivacy.Hewritesthat,"concerns
forthecommongoodtakeprecedenceoverprivacy,ratherthanstronglyprivilegingprivacya
priori"(Etzioni,1999,p.215).Hebelievesthatprivacyshouldnottakeprecedentoversocietal
values,inthiscasethecommongood,butthatifprivacyistobecurbed,thereshouldbeequal
gaininthecommongoodwhichhedefinesasbeingeitherpublichealthorpublicsafetyorboth.
HelooksatcasessuchastheMeganLawswhichrequiresexoffenderstoregisterwiththelocal
policeofthecommunityhelivesin.Hedescribesthehistoryofeventwherein1994,aseven
yearoldgirlbythenameofMeganKankawassexualassaultedandkilledbyaneighborwho
hadalreadyservedsixyearsfortwosexoffenses.Noonehadknownintheneighborhoodthat
thisman,JesseTimmendequas,andhisothertworoommates,werechildmolesters.Eventhough
thiscaseisoveradecadeold,thethemesfoundintheargumenteasilydemonstratethebalance
thathastobestruckbetweenpersonalprivacyandthepublicgood.
Likementionedbefore,privacyhasbecomeahugetopicofconcern,especiallyafterthe
September11thattacks.Withsomuchinformationontheinternetthesedays,itsquitehardto
hideeverylittlepieceofinformation.Privacyisanimportantkeytolife,becauseifindividuals
didnothavetheirownprivacy,theywouldntbeabletoactouttheirrightoffreedom.In
additiontothesereadings,thispaperwillalsocompareandcontrastpersonalfeelingsonprivacy
andtheprivacyofdifferentculturesandethnicities.
InEtzionisbook
TheLimitsofPrivacy
,Etzionitakesaseriousapproachtowards
privacy.Etzionibringsupsomespecificcasessuchassexoffenders,decipheringencrypted
messages,bigbrother,andmedicalrecordstoquestionscertainrightsofprivacy.Etzioni

questionsifeveryoneandeverythingdeservestohaveprivacy.BeforetheSeptember9/11
terroristattackontheTwinTowers,privacywouldhavebeenconsideredabasichumanright.In
currentsocieties,mainlytheUnitedStatesofAmerica,privacyistransitioningtoaprivilege.
Startingwiththetopicofsexoffenders.Aparentshouldneverhavetodealwithhaving
theirchildsexuallyassaultedorexperienceabuseintheirlifetime.In1994,thecaseofMegan
Kankastirredupcontroversiesontheprivacyofsexualoffenders.Inresponsetothiscase,a
federallawbythenameofMegansLawwasenacted.MegansLawrequireslawenforcement
authoritiestopublicizetheinformationavailableonlocalsexoffenders.Thistopicposesa
question:shouldsexoffendershavethesameprivacyrightsjustlikeeveryoneelse,orshould
theybetreateddifferentlyduetotheextentoftheircrimeandtopreventcaseslikeMegan
Kanka?
Mostpeopleinthistypeofsituationwouldagreetolettheinformationouttothepublic
forsafetyconcernsamongstthechildren.Removingorrestrictinganindividual'srightshasbeen
judgedethicallycorrectifitisdoneintheinterestofpublicsafety.Thosewhoarguetopublicize
thecrimesofsexualoffendersstatethattheoffendersrelinquishtheirrightsbecauseoftheir
decisioninacriminalaction.
However,accordingtoEtzioni,CivilLibertariansdefendtherightsofsexoffenderson
numerousgrounds,withEtzionifurthermentioninghowthesesexualoffendershavepaidtheir
duestosocietywhentheycompletetheirjailsentenceandratherthanpunishingthemeven
further,societyshouldgivethemthehelptheyneed.Todenytheirrighttoprivacyandfreedom
wouldseemlikeaslaptothefacetomanyothers,especiallytheoffenders,butinfacttheyare
stillpeoplelikeusanddeservesomeformofright.

OnFebruary29,2015CaliforniaSupremeCourtruledthatastatelawbarringsex
offendersfromlivingwithin2,000feetofaschoolorparkisunconstitutional.Thiscase
originatedintheSanDiegoCounty.BeforetheCaliforniaSupremeCourtrulingmadethestate
lawunconstitutionalitmeantthatlessthan3percentofmultiunithousingwasavailableto
offenders(intheSanDiegoCounty),resultinginanincreaseinhomelessness.Thehomeless
stateoftheseoffendersmadeitmoredifficultforthemtoreceivetheaidtheyneeded,and
hinderedtheabilityoflawenforcerstomonitorthelocationofsexoffenders.Bytryingtomake
thingssafer,wemakethemmorecomplicated.
Next,letstakealookatthecaseofdecipheringencryptedmessages.Thoughthistypeof
conceptseemsmoreharmlessanduseful,itcanbecomeusefulandharmfulwhentakenintothe
wronghands.Witheverynewpieceoftechnology,therearealwaysgoingtobebadpeoplethat
seektotakeadvantageofandexploitit.Sincethecreationoftheinternet,theamountandspeed
ofelectroniccommunicationsandbusinesshasincreased,leadingtothehighusageofencrypted
messagesandtransactions.AccordingtoEtzioni,CharlesSchwabreportedthat,asof1998,half
ofallitsbusinesswasdoneontheinternet.Astheuseofencryptionwithinbusinessesbecome
moreandmorepopular,theusageofencryptionalsobecomespopularamongstmanycriminals.
Thiscausesproblemsamongstthegovernmentandlocalauthorities.Withencryptionprocesses
becomingmorecomplexandhardertobreak,aquestioncomestomind:shouldthegovernment
haveaccesstodecryptiontechnologiestopreventsuchcriminalsfromsafelysending
informationtooneanother?
Beingabletoacquirethesetypeoftechnologieswillhelptohuntdowncriminalsand
stoppotentialcivilianthreateningeventsfromoccurringinthefuture.Ontheotherhand,

everyonehassomerighttoprivacywithhavingtheirmessagesbesentinprivate.Criminalsare
partofsocietyaswell,thoughmanypeoplemightnotagreewiththisstatement.
PrivacylawscanbeatrickytopictonavigateandtheUnitedStatesarenttheonlyones
strugglingtogetitperfect.Russiaalsohashaditsfairtroublesandsuccesseswithprivacylaws.
Accordingtosection1chapter2article23,Everyoneshallhavetherighttoprivacy,topersonal
andfamilysecrets,andtoprotectionofone'shonorandgoodname..Thereprivacyrightsare
similartotheonesoftheUnitedStateshowevertheirrightsarealittlemoredetaillikesuchas
thesecondparttotheirprivacyrightwhichstatesEveryoneshallhavetherighttoprivacyof
correspondence,telephonecommunications,mail,cablesandothercommunications.Any
restrictionofthisrightshallbeallowedonlyunderanorderofacourtoflaw..Howeverjustlike
theUnitedStates,theRussianFederationhaslawsthatcontradicttheirconstitutionalrightssuch
astherightfortohavehiddensurveillance(M.Sundara2002).Thepointismakingprivacylaws
areverycomplicatedandthatitisnearlyimpossibletoprotectbothprivacyandsecuritywithout
upsettingsomeone.
Japanhasalwaysbeenknowntohaveadifferentsenseofprivacycomparedtoour
Westernculture,Japanhasahighpopulationdensitythatputspressureonmaintainingprivate
lives(Mizutani2004).Duetoclosequarterlivingsituations,theprivacyinJapanislargely
missing.Housesaresituatednexttoneighborsandwallsbetweenroomscanbepaperthin.
MizutaniandhisfellowcolleaguesgoesindepthintotheJapaneseculturetoaccessifprivacy
exists.Theirfocuswasondescriptiveprivacyandnormativeprivacy.Descriptiveprivacyis
privacybasedonbeliefsaboutmorality.Normativeprivacyisbasedhowpeopleinsocietyare
perceivedtoact,ethics.SomespecificpracticesofprivacydifferbetweenthecultureofJapan

andtheUnitedStates.TheJapanesepublicbathisagoodexample,foritisanythingbuta
privateaffair.Notmuchislefttotheimagination.Nakedpeople,oftenstrangers,wash
themselvessidebyside.(Mizutani2004).TheJapanesewayoflifeisengraveddeeplywith
Buddhism.AnimportantconceptbroughtupbytheMizutanipaperrelatedtoprivacyisthe
realizationof,theideathatthesufferingoftheworldislinkedtothedesiresoftheegoorself.
Toachievespiritualpeacepractitionersaimtoerasetheirsenseofself.Privacyistheprotection
oftheindividualortheself,andwithoutthatdesire.Alackofprivacyisoverlooked.
Americanprivacylawsatthemomentarenotperfect,howeverAmericansdohaveit
goodcomparedtoothercountriessuchasNorthKoreathemostrepressivecountryintheworld
rightnow.InNorthKoreaprivacydoesnotexist,youareunderconstantwatchbythe
governmentatalltimes.Therearecamerasineveryroomandifpeopleshowanyhintthatthey
areaspyorthattheydislikeanythingabouttheNorthKoreangovernmenttheywillbepunished
inacruelandharshway.Internetisnotavailableforcitizenssotheyareshutofffromthe
world.Theyarebasicallybornintothiswayoflifeandthereisreallynowayforthemtobe
liberated.Peopletherearepunishedwithouttrialsandthemostsimpleoffensecouldhavea
catastrophicconsequence.In2015UnitedStatescollegestudentOttoFrederickWarmbierwas
arrestedforstealingapoliticalposterinhishotelandnowheisfacingasentenceof15yearsin
hardlaborworkinplantations.SothingsmaynotbeperfectinAmerica,butthecitizensmust
notforgetthattheydohaveitbetterthanalotofothercountriesintheworld.
TheUnitedStatesofAmericapridesitselfonitsnationalsecurity.Howeverinorderto
havesuchbrilliantsecurityweasAmericansmustsacrificesomeprivacy.InAmericaitiskind
oflikeaonestrikerule.Onceyoubreakthelawonceyoubasicallyloseyourrighttoprivacy.

Forexamplesexoffendersessentiallylosetheirrighttoprivacybecausetheyhavetotelltheir
neighborsthattheyareregisteredsexoffenders.Alsothosewhohavefelonieshavetostatethat
whentryingtoapplyforajob.Alloftheseprecautionshoweverarewhatprotectstheinnocent
people.Mostpeoplewouldntwanttheirchildhangingaroundthehouseofasexoffenderand
mostemployerswouldnotwanttohireapersonwhogotarrestedandchargedforstealing
thousandsofdollarsworthofmerchandisefromvariousstores.Privacyisrelinquishedwhenyou
breakthelawsothatpeoplecanbepreparedincasethatpersonisarepeatoffender.Security
camerasarealsotrickywhenitcomestoprivacyversusprotection.Securitycamerastechnically
invadeourprivacyduetothefactthatoureverymoveisbeingwatched,howeveritisalsoused
toprotectusagainsttheftandpeopletryingtoharmothers.Inordertoliveasecurelifein
Americayouneedtosacrificealittlebitofyourprivacy.Aslongasyoudontharmothersyou
shallhavenoproblems.
Onlineprivacyisanextremelydifferentstory.Theinternetgrantanonymity.Youcansay
whateveryouwantontheinternet,andtrackpeopleontheinternetandnotgetintroubleforit,
Membersoftheyoungergenerationknowthisinstinctivelyandconsequentlydontcareabout
privacy.Theyeagerlydisplaytheirpersonallivesonsocialnetworkingsites...(Hooker2014).
Thereisaeuropeanmobileapplicationthathelpspeopleparticipateinlawsuitagainstfacebook
toprotectdata(T.Geller2016),becausetheyarentallowtotrackandkeepdataasfreelyasthey
areinAmerica.InAmericatherearentmanyrulestoprotectourprivacy,whichisgoodfor
thosewhoknowhowtoprotectthemselves,butforthosewhodonttheyshouldbeverycareful
inwhattheydo,Asweincreasinglytransferourlivestothe[electronic]infosphere,wemake
availableawealthofdatathatcanbeputtogooduseaswellasill(Hooker2014).

TherighttoprivacyhasalwaysbeenthefightofDemocrats,andtransparencywasthe
preferedconceptofConservatives.HoweverwiththepassageoftheUSAPatriotActduringthe
GeorgeW.Bushyears,butexpandedseeminglywithoutlimitunderBarackObama,
conservativeshaveawakenedtothethreatofthemassivesurveillancestate(Viguerie2013).
ManyRepublicansuchasJustinAmash,andMarshaBlackburnhavetriedtopassamendments
toprotectprivacyandthecollectionofpersonaldata.Thischangeofheartmainlyduetothe
risingconstitutionalstakes,isduetorecentscandalsbytheNSAandIRS.In2013theNSA,
secretlybrokenintothemaincommunicationslinksthatconnectYahooandGoogledata
centersaroundtheworld(Gellman2013).TheNSAcollectedandstoreddatafrommillionsof
Americanusersonline.Google'schieflegalofficerDavidDrummondstatedthatGooglehas
alwaysbeenconcernedofthepossibilityandoutrageatthelengthsofwhichthegovernment
wentthroughtoobtaintheusersdata.GooglehadalreadyallowedtheNSAaccesstouser
accountsthroughthePRISMprogram.
PhillipBrellandIIIbelievesthatprivacyisaveryimportantaspecttooureverydaylives.
Privacyiswhatmakespeopleindividuallyunique,theycandowhattheyactuallywanttodo
withoutbacklashfrommedia,friends,familyorevenrandompeople.Privacyisbeneficialtothe
individualandthewholebecauseifsomeonehasanegativeprivatethoughtthenitsparesthe
feelingsofbothsidesifthatthoughtremainsprivate.Itiswhenweloseprivacy,badthings
happenbecausethatmeanssomeoneisunrightfullyinfringingonyourrights,oryoujustdid
somethingbadthatresultsinyourrightsbeingrevokedtoresolvetheissueathand.
Webelievethatprivacyarighttobeprotectedbythegovernmentratherthanaprivilege
thegovernmentisfreetotreaduponwheneveritfeelsthreatened.Etzionitriestodefend

governmentoverreachbysuggestingthatprivacyisaprivilegethatshouldbebalancedwiththe
concernsofthepublicsuchashealthorsafetyandthatprivacyshouldbecurbedifitwould
createequalgainsinhealthorsafety.Etzionihoweverseemstoarguetoostronglyforthepublic.
WhenwritingaboutMeganslaw,hebelievestheydonotgofarenoughandcreatetoomany
openingsforregisteredsexoffenderstohavetheirrightsabused.Instead,heoffersthatregistered
sexoffendersshouldbeforcedtomoveintotheirowncommunes,monitoredbyelectronic
braceletinperpetuity.InsteadoftheweakeningofasexoffendersprivacycausedbytheMegan
Law,hewouldratherstriptheirrightsfromthemwholesalebyforcingthemintoghettos.He
optimisticallysuggestthattheircommunitiescouldbelocatedinupscaleareasevenafterwriting
abouthowpeopletreatsexoffendersoncereleasedbackintothegeneralpopulation.
ItisthislogicthatconvincesustobewaryofEtzioniscommunitarianapproach.Whatis
bestforthecommunityissometimesunreasonablyharshfororontheindividual.Insteadwe
shouldsharethesamebeliefsofJusticeBrandeisanddefendprivacyateverycrossroad.

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