Database Nation: The Death of Privacy in the 21st Century

by Simson Garfinkel

Fifty years ago, in 1984, George Orwell imagined a future in which privacy was demolished by a totalitarian state that used spies, video surveillance, historical revisionism, and control over the media to maintain its power. Those who worry about personal privacy and identity--especially in this day of technologies that encroach upon these rights--still use Orwell's "Big Brother" language to discuss privacy issues. But the reality is that the age of a monolithic Big Brother is over. And yet the threats are perhaps even more likely to destroy the rights we've assumed were ours. Database The Death of Privacy in the 21st Century shows how, in these early years of the 21st century, advances in technology endanger our privacy in ways never before imagined. Direct marketers and retailers track our every purchase; surveillance cameras observe our movements; mobile phones will soon report our location to those who want to track us; government eavesdroppers listen in on private communications; misused medical records turn our bodies and our histories against us; and linked databases assemble detailed consumer profiles used to predict and influence our behavior. Privacy--the most basic of our civil rights--is in grave peril.Simson Garfinkel--journalist, entrepreneur, and international authority on computer security--has devoted his career to testing new technologies and warning about their implications. This newly revised update of the popular hardcover edition of Database Nation is his compelling account of how invasive technologies will affect our lives in the coming years. It's a timely, far-reaching, entertaining, and thought-provoking look at the serious threats to privacy facing us today. The book poses a disturbing how can we protect our basic rights to privacy, identity, and autonomy when technology is making invasion and control easier than ever before?Garfinkel's captivating blend of journalism, storytelling, and futurism is a call to arms. It will frighten, entertain, and ultimately convince us that we must take action now to protect our privacy and identity before it's too late.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, Business, Technical, Internet, Computers

312 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Privacy is being violated by new technology. Some may think of privacy as hiding something, but the author explains that privacy is really about “self-possession, autonomy, integrity”. Databases, internet, satellites, fiber optic communication, and hand-held technologies have astronomically advanced over the past few years, yet policies and procedures on how to protect our privacy have lagged behind. Garfinkel’s book is a call to action. Although written nearly two decades ago, this book is not dated. To date, there are probably more violations to privacy than ever, thanks to cloud computing, email phishing, and global surveillance to name a few. Sure, there have been some legislative advances (HIPAA, PHIA), and some setbacks (Patriot Act). Those who favour legislation that minimizes the rights to privacy of every citizen often cite that law-abiding citizens have nothing to hide. But, whether it is embarrassing or incriminating, don’t we all have something to hide? Sure, some surveillance has been very helpful in fighting crime. Electronic purchases, GPS and public surveillance provide reliable evidence. But most of us don’t know that we are being tracked or what part of us is being tracked, and this lack of awareness is the problem.

Most of us don’t fully understand what privacies we give up when we “agree” to software user licenses and upgrades. Convoluted “privacy agreements”, written in Fine Print, are not comprehensible! Yet we blindly agree to them anyway. Privacy is what we sacrifice for convenience. Instant pays (e.g. Paypal, Cricket), credit cards, cloud computing, cookies, biometric “passwords” etc., “free” downloads are all electronic conveniences that can violate our privacy if the entity that databases our information has no firm policy. Electronic services are not really “free” if the entity sells your information to a buyer. Because our identity and personal information are replicable, we don’t own a “copyright” to our own information. Garfinkel’s book reminds us of this basic violation.

[Stephanie Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very appropriate to read this on my evil data-collecting devices (although I bought this title direct from O'Reilly and then accidentally deleted the cloud copy 50% of the way through, so I'm not sure that my highlights got stored) and then, upon finishing, enter still more data into yet another database (THIS ONE—I sometimes forget this is a database, and now Mr. Garfinkel's made-up story about an online friend who turned out to be a robot makes me question who among my Goodreads network are robots. I would say Gunn, because what human would admit to reading The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood?, but I know that he is just a strange human and not a robot.)

This book is a treasure trove of sci-fi story plots, even 10 years after its original publication, but Garfinkel is clearly a left-brain guy. (That is code for: this book could have been better written.) It is quite interesting, but not the awesomely definitive account I was expecting from the striking title and subtitle.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine my surprise when I discovered much of a section of chapter 10 titled “Eliza and her Children” (pgs. 243-247 in 2001 paperback edition) is an excerpt of my 1996 article “Invasion of the Internet Impostors” published in Volume 8 of Internet Underground magazine. Garfinkel does cite my article in footnote 5 in reference to Zumabot, but excerpts (admittedly somewhat reworded) on the subject of ELIZA, Hugh Loebner, MGonz*, and MUDs are presented without crediting me.

Five years later (2006) I collaborated with Garfinkel while he was still at Harvard, on some S/MIME related research that he planned to use in a paper he was writing. Maybe he didn’t realize I was the same Michael McCormick he quoted in his book, but he never said anything to me about it.

Weird. Guess I'll let it go. Database Nation is an okay book, rather dated in some ways now, but on the other hand very timely in light of the recent NSA revelations.

[Steven Tomcavage · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting overview of what data is collected about you and how it is used. The book is a bit dated in sections, it was written pre-9/11 so the chapter on Terrorism is of course way out of date. But, the chapter on Terrorism is also eerily prescient. The most fascinating chapters were the ones on video surveillance and shopping loyalty programs. There are parts of the book that mention data collection on the Internet, and as this book is pre-Google and pre-Cloud, there are some obvious holes in that section. But, the gist of the book is that data is being collected, sifted, and used by companies to influence your actions every day. I recommend this book.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book (of course, it's by Garfinkel), pointing out the issues and concerns around data collection, erosion of privacy, and inadequacy of current privacy laws to control collection.

[Luis Fernando Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro que ya tiene unos años, y algo de su información ya está algo desactualizada, sin embargo la forma en que se tratan los temas tiene toda la actualidad del mundo.

Siempre me he considerado una persona a quien no le importa mucho su propia privacidad, poruqe me parece una fantasía, y que no tengo que temerle mucho que el gobierno tenga mi información porque "me porto bien", me da mas miedo que una organización criminal tenga mi información, y también entiendo que no hay mucho que pueda hacer al respecto, ya que hay muchísimas formas de adquirir esa información sobre nosotros.

Sin embargo este libro me abre los ojos sobre todo lo que puede salir mal cuando hay brechas de información por parte de quien debería salvaguardar tu información, y más allá de las cientos de formas que existen para hacerse de información de forma ilegal, irresponsable o incluso inmoral.

También comprendí por qué algunos registros, como los médicos, se guardan en papel y ha sido complicado moverlos a lo digital, precisamente porque con el expediente físico se tiene más control sobre en dónde están las copias existentes del mismo. De hecho, recientemente se publico un artículo sobre cómo la tecnología del Fax era responsable de una respuesta lenta al Covid en Estados Unidos.

Así mismo, muestra también el futuro donde quizás entidades como nuestras aseguradoras de manden conocer mucho más de nuestros hábitos para ofrecernos pólizas personalizadas, y cómo eso puede resultar en objetos de discriminación.

Una buena lectura, que en su momento resultó realmente profética, ya que muchas de las cosas escritas se han convertido en realidad.

[Роман Селіверстов · Rating 3 out of 5]

Компьютер, которым я пользуюсь сейчас, имеет внутренний жесткий диск, который может хранить 6 гигабайт информации

- это говорит о актуальности книги в наше время... Пусть не настолько, насколько изменились компьютеры с того времени, но изменилось и законодательство касательно защиты частной информации.
Я полностью согласен с автором, что мы зависимы от людей, контролирующих сервисы. Но,

...люди, предъявляющие в банк чеки, ощущают себя неуютно, потому что с ними обращаются как с потенциальными преступниками.

- а что вы хотели??? (на обратной стороне отпечатки пальцев). Тогда мы должны обижаться на проверку багажа в аэропорту, на слежение за несписыванием на экзаменах и т. п.

[José Luis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book some time ago. It was a first account that parts of our lives are entirely available on the web, where our footprints can be easily chased and information can be extracted. It was the first whistleblower I read about the end of anonimity, and maybe privacy too in the future (although this is somewhat under our control).

[Elizabeth]

good condition

[David Fandel]

Also read 1/8/2001

[Don-E Merson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was written before 9/11 and second HIPPA standard so it was outdated.