Security News > 2022 > February > Should we expect to keep communication private in the digital age?

I suggested, let's just be realistic and say we should accept that we can't have a realistic expectation of privacy.

Btrower said this issue is a "Slam dunk" - yes, but how? Because, "You have no hope of privacy if a powerful enough adversary targets you. There are many routes to failure and exposure. The only hope of modest privacy is being someone who is not interesting enough to look at. Given the value of successfully targeting you as a consumer, you are indeed interesting to look at for anybody who can capitalize on this."

At the same time, there is a "Privacy paradox", with individuals' desire for privacy at odds with "a simultaneous lack of appropriate security behaviour by individuals - behaviour such as using the same insecure password for multiple sites, signing up to just about any site for a 10 per cent discount, or even a reluctance to use security measures such as multi-factor authentication."

Yes, the current reality meant it was difficult to "Expect" privacy, but accepting the status quo "Is not only terrifyingly pessimistic, but sets a dangerous precedent that others will follow. The only way we will get our privacy back from vulturistic corporations and overreaching government organizations is by declaring unchallenged that we have a right to our privacy for the information we do not openly disclose, and if we provide that data to a third party in confidence, do not wish to be disclosed by any potential data holders. We SHOULD expect and demand it, and if our reality does not match those expectations, then something needs to change."

"Filippo felt that"Bottom of FormFailing to properly defend your right to privacy can and often does mean that you lose your privacy - but it doesn't mean that you lose the right itself.

LDS suggested John was: "Once again, conflating privacy with secrecy - and messages with life", pointing out that one "Can encrypt your communication with Facebook, and still Facebook will hoard and use all the data it can - and let the government access them. We have to rein in governments asking [for] easy mass surveillance - but beware of looking at a finger ignoring the elephant behind. Encryption alone can't save us."

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/02/18/reg_debate_privacy_summary_friday/