As of May 31, 2023, we have updated our Code of Conduct.

Questions tagged [privacy]

Questions about the protection of people's (personal) information.

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
6 votes
2 answers
942 views

To what extent is "right to privacy" related to "right to good name / reputation"?

There is a detail in Article 12 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights that I find interesting: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, ...
QuantumWalnut's user avatar
-1 votes
3 answers
362 views

What rights do I have with regards to legal identity? [closed]

This is how I can imagine the bargain you make as a citizen with your government. If you want inclusion in the benefits of a state, you forfeit some of your personal freedom by agreeing to be limited ...
hmltn's user avatar
  • 1,853
2 votes
1 answer
179 views

Why did the EU give stronger "protections" to minors in the GDPR, considering that COPPA has had the effect of restricting those it tries to protect?

Quite a few years ago, the US passed COPPA, which imposes quite strict regulations on sites that collect information from children under 13. The end result was that many sites banned users under 13 ...
Someone's user avatar
  • 1,129
40 votes
5 answers
6k views

Why are arrest records public in the United States?

As I understand, arrest records (records showing that someone was arrested by police) are public in the United States, at least in many states (see e.g. Are Arrest Records Public?). However, it seems ...
sleske's user avatar
  • 1,447
-1 votes
1 answer
206 views

What is the political (moral) justification for terminating the employment of workers for moral reasons completely unrelated to their job? [closed]

In my country there was a recent moral panic, where it was discovered that a popular TV host had uploaded videos with private moments of his (now ex) girlfriend online. After this event was made ...
user000001's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
130 views

Why are real estate records public?

The government is very restricted on what information it may disclose about you and under what circumstances. For example, I can't look up your car's license plate number to find out who you are. I ...
Wes Sayeed's user avatar
  • 11.9k
2 votes
1 answer
204 views

Privacy-wise what are risks of Israel-type deal to share anonymized vaccine data IF a country is using nationalized health plan?

Israel has one of the fastest Covid vaccine rollouts in the world right now. To get it so many doses they signed a sweetheart deal with Pfizer to share anonymized, but highly detailed data with Pfizer ...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
-4 votes
2 answers
374 views

Have there been any polls about reconsidering the secret ballot methodology?

Question: Have there ever been any surveys asking people if they think the secret ballot methodology currently used today is still a good idea in modern times? Why I thought of this question for ...
The 'Bernie Sanders' Party's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
462 views

Is there any way I request a copy of any of my phone calls the US government has recorded over the years?

We learned through the Snowden revelations that the United States government was surveilling nearly every person in the United States and in a handful of other countries via drag-net methods. I was ...
Gabriel Fair's user avatar
48 votes
6 answers
11k views

What are the objectives of the TikTok ban?

Google collects temporal + location information of Android handsets by default and is only a subpoena away from US authorities. The current administration is concerned that China would be able to use ...
gatorback's user avatar
  • 2,992
0 votes
3 answers
482 views

Why is there widespread support for suspending Freedom of Assembly during the pandemic, but not for suppressing privacy? [closed]

Pretty much every news outlet in the US these days supports the lockdowns despite them violating the First Amendment - from CNN to Fox News. Everyone seems to agree that lockdowns are inevitable, even ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
  • 50.1k
-1 votes
1 answer
137 views

The political risk of a law that allows traffic camera be installed in all intersections [closed]

In all the cities I have lived in in Canada, I do not see a lot of traffic cameras in intersections. There seems to be only one or two in the intersections with the most traffic. That gets me thinking ...
user39178's user avatar
  • 117
-1 votes
1 answer
118 views

Why has self-regulation of social media failed? [closed]

Canadian Minister of Democratic Institutions, Katrina Gould, has said that ‘all options are on the table’ when it comes to regulating social media companies as she recognised that ‘self-regulation has ...
Mozibur Ullah's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
297 views

How does the public know that many large corporations paid zero Federal tax last year?

So the press is reporting that many large corporations paid zero Federal taxes see here for 2018 under the tax act passed under the Trump Administration. Considering the concern that people have ...
BobE's user avatar
  • 10.2k
5 votes
1 answer
661 views

Is there an international consensus about Privacy vs Security (How Much Data Should We Collect?)

On the one hand, privacy gives people leeway for free thought, freedom of expression, and criticism without fear of personal consequences. On the other hand, security ensures the structural integrity ...
ride_on_the_NOP_sled's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
259 views

Required gathering of genetic material from citizens?

With services like 23 and Me, it is becoming technically possible to gather and sample genetic material from many people. There are also rumors about police using similar services to help identify ...
Euphoric's user avatar
  • 149
2 votes
4 answers
522 views

Why doesn't the EU encourage anonymity rather than creating rules about handling personal data?

The EU has a lot of laws regulating the privacy of personal data which tell companies when, how and under which conditions they may store information about their users. GDPR is the most notorious of ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
  • 50.1k
4 votes
3 answers
302 views

Political distinction between Surveillance and Wiretapping?

In a recent comment Kdog alludes to: ...those guys that think electronic surveillance and wiretapping semantic differences are somehow important. In the US, is this distinction procedurally ...
agc's user avatar
  • 12.7k
46 votes
3 answers
14k views

Why did Russia ban Telegram but not WhatsApp, given the latter uses end-to-end encryption by default?

Quite recently (in April), Telegram has been banned/blocked in Russia for refusal to give up encryption keys to Russian agencies. Telegram's defence was built around the fact that they don't even have ...
Gallifreyan's user avatar
  • 1,173
0 votes
2 answers
232 views

What is the total estimated cost of complying with GDPR?

All companies, charities, websites, NGOs and even government entities in Europe are scrambling to begin complying with GDPR. It seems that pretty much anyone who as much as stores a list of customer ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
  • 50.1k
2 votes
1 answer
119 views

How can a political campaign obtain my personal data? [closed]

A campaign volunteer contacted me about my voting choices for this November election... which wouldn’t be noteworthy hadn’t he addressed me by my wife’s name. When I asked about how they had ...
Alvaro Montoro's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is it normal for the German government to only release a partial name?

The name of the dead suspect for the Münster attack is “Jens R.”, according to ZDF. Is it normal for the German government to only release a partial name for a crime as serious as this? (Assuming ...
Andrew Grimm's user avatar
  • 13.3k
5 votes
2 answers
401 views

What data did Cambridge Analytica obtain from Facebook?

Background: One of the bigger news stories of this week is that a firm called Cambridge Analytica obtained data from Facebook, which was then analyzed and sold to politicians for the purposes of ...
Sam I am says Reinstate Monica's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
2k views

Would a Social Credit System like the one contemplated in China be Constitutional In The U.S

China is contemplating the creation of a Social Credit System in which privileges and penalties less significant than incarceration or a fine would flow from data compiled about a person in a manner ...
ohwilleke's user avatar
  • 66.5k
27 votes
3 answers
7k views

If the Russian regime is so popular, why does it need to invest into limiting freedom of expression?

According to this article, Putin has signed two laws that further limit freedom of expression (law source): Two new laws in Russia jeopardize the privacy and security of internet users and aim to ...
Alexei's user avatar
  • 52.1k
3 votes
2 answers
308 views

Why does Modi administration want SIM cards to be linked to Aadhaar card?

Why does Modi administration want SIM cards to be linked to Aadhaar card, especially when "mobile theft" is a big business in India ?
Neel's user avatar
  • 400
3 votes
1 answer
270 views

What laws has congress passed that allows the traffic intersection cameras in USA?

This article by wjhl.com talks about the crime-solving benefits provided by cameras installed in traffic intersections in Johnson City, Tennessee. I have seen these same kinds of cameras also in ...
alec's user avatar
  • 1,209
67 votes
6 answers
16k views

Why is privacy a subject felt more in Europe rather than the US?

Almost regularly there is news on this or that US (internet) company that must adapt its practices for European customers, since they tend to be too lax with regards to privacy protection according to ...
Federico's user avatar
  • 6,717
5 votes
2 answers
332 views

Why does a birth certificate need to be recently generated?

When my children were born, I was offered additional copies of their birth certificates (at a cost!) by the registrar's office. I thought this might be useful, so I took a few extra copies. Note that ...
Oscar Bravo's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
431 views

Why is/was Austria so strict about Google Street View?

According to this table, Austria is one of the most restrictive countries when it comes to Google Street View coverage ("Only Museum views, business views and ski resorts."). Germany is also careful ...
Alexei's user avatar
  • 52.1k
4 votes
3 answers
752 views

How can the European Union enforce the General Data Protection Regulation?

The upcoming General Data Protection Regulation of the EU has some strong provisions including penalties for mis-managing data. I don't understand though how it can be enforced outside of Europe, ...
user86422's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

What are the benefits of mass surveillance on U.S. citizens?

In 2013, Reuters reported that the Snowden leaks reveal how the NSA has been giving information to a division of the DEA called the Special Operations Division. Apparently they've been using this ...
Cannabijoy's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
130 views

Any online petition platform that will deliver signatures to target only?

Do you know of a platform for online petitions that has the option to deliver signature information to designated target only? AFAIK, in my home country, people who sign petitions to government must ...
Juan Zuluaga's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
81 views

Are encryption bills necessary?

Are the kinds of surveillance bills that are being developed in the UK (the investigatory powers bill) and the USA (the new draft encryption bill) really needed? Is it not the case that the ...
hdworld's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
2 answers
160 views

Are there any parts of the election process I should avoid if I want to stay off mailing lists?

I'm sad to say I'm interested in voting for someone who isn't very popular in my household, because I find the household's preferred candidate abhorrent. After months of keeping quiet on my voting ...
Sidney's user avatar
  • 2,764
7 votes
1 answer
228 views

Invalid "safe harbour" decision - what has changed?

The international Safe Harbor Privacy Principles were declared invalid by the European Court of Justice in October 2015. Is it known whether the behavior of companies storing consumer data and ...
Sir Sy's user avatar
  • 743
4 votes
1 answer
601 views

Is there a federal law that prevents a person from finding out which US Congress candidate another US citizen voted for in a previous election?

One of my friends claims that If you vote in the 2014 US Congress election, any person can find out who you voted for. I searched around, and the consensus appears to be that this is not allowed ...
Wuschelbeutel Kartoffelhuhn's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
215 views

When and how did the Republican establishment come to oppose NSA surveillance?

When there were revelations during the Bush administration that the National Security Agency was conducting warrantless surveillance of phone calls and emails, Democrats generally opposed the NSA's ...
Keshav Srinivasan's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
502 views

Is it illegal to publish a website anonymously/pseudonymously in Germany?

Occasionally on websites you see a link labeled "Impressum", and on clicking it it invariably shows a German-looking name and contact information in Germany. Looking "Impressum" up on Wikipedia, I was ...
Mechanical snail's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
714 views

Why does the "Right to Privacy" not apply to reparative therapy?

Reparative Therapy, sometimes called Conversion Therapy or "Pray away the Gay" is a form of counseling which is sought by some people in order to change a perceived sexual orientation. While there is ...
Affable Geek's user avatar
  • 16.2k