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From: "Pär Ström" <listor@atomerochbitar.se>
To: digitalrights_privacy@groupcare.com
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 10:08:20 +0200
Subject: [digitalrights_priv] 6 risks in the surveillance society

Hej alla!

I am doing some thinking in the area of the risks in terms of privacy and
human rights in the surveillance society we might get as a consequence of
the digital revolution. What do you think of the risks listed below? Is
this an adequate, complete and correctly structured list of risks? Are the
risks on the same abstractional level?

1. Lost anonymity. More and more electronic traces are left because of an
increased use of digital payments, smart cards in public transportation,
transponders in car toll systems, etc. This makes us identified in
situations where we have traditionally been anonymous.

2. Life in a glass house. If public databases are made searchable to the
public via any Internet browser, it will be extremely easy to snoop on
neighburs, work mates etc.

3. General surveillance. Law enforcement people might change methods, from
doing surveillance only when suspecting someone of a serioous crime, to
generally monitoring everybody through digital means.

4. New underclass. "Profiling" of people, like airline passengers, might
result in a new group of citizens who are not formally sucpected of a
crime, but not totally innocent either. They have been "flagged" by a piece
of software as "suspects", but they are not aware of any accusations and
have no means of defending themselves.

5. What´s "normal" is defined. What is seen as "normal" human behaviour is
defined by computer systems, and those not falling within the limits will
have problems in everyday life (like being suspected). Thus, "odd"
individuals will not be tolerated by society.

6. Rough judgements. When laws and regulations to an increasing extent are
interpreted by computer systems, not by trained professionals, judgements
might be more and more rought. For example, recently a Swedish lady was
denied a bank loan while she still owed the tax authorities two (2) kronor,
according to a database.

What do you think? I would be really happy to get some comments. Is this
list complete? And is it correctly structured? Please be critical. And
please feel free to reply in Danish.

Best regards
Pär Ström
Stockholm, Sweden
par@atomerochbitar.se

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