SUMMARY

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that privacy is a human right. The violation of this right for any reason puts at risk an individual’s sense of security and identity. Privacy can also be viewed as a consumer protection issue. When consumers sign on to new services and products, they want to understand the terms of service for how their data will be protected, used, and shared. Yet, regardless of one’s perspective, both individuals and consumers often lack understanding of privacy as a value, even though many are extremely concerned about surveillance, Personal Identifying Information (PII) data leaks, and corporate collection and sharing of their information.

This publication is part of a ten-part Institute for Security and Technology (formerly Tech4GS) and Center for a New American Security (CNAS) commentary series from Tech4GS’ M. Nina Miller, Alexa Wehsener, and Vera Zakem as we dive into digital trends likely to impact democracy in the next decade. To learn more about this project, visit our Future Digital Threats to Democracy page.