Understanding Privacy

by Heather Burns

Privacy is a scary topic? It doesn’t have to be. Our new book Understanding Privacy helps you understand what data privacy is really about beyond scary headlines. It is an introduction to the beliefs, concepts, and ideas that inform privacy as it exists — or has failed to exist — on the open web that we build. Whether you’re a designer, developer, or project manager, this book will equip you with the knowledge you need to put your users first in everything you do and build a better web for tomorrow.

Genres: Design

288 pages, ebook

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Chris Wiegman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a lot of books on privacy over the years and have even presented on the topic at some of the same shows as Heather. This book's presentation of the topic is, by far, the best I've seen. As a developer myself, and as someone who mentors developers, privacy is a topic most just, at best, snicker at and it's been difficult to convince nearly anyone of its importance. This book has given me a number of new tricks to do so.

As I finished this yesterday, the day Threads launched, it's also an apt reminder of just how bad so much tech is. As I watch the truly misguided deride EU tech policy instead of Meta, this book is a wonderful reminder, and really does a great job of spelling out, not only why we should care about privacy but also about the different approaches to privacy by the US and EU in general.

[To3m · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the book would have benefited greatly from an exploration of WHY privacy is important. A reasoned explanation of its connection to other rights and concepts.
The book contrasts the European and US legal approaches to privacy, with a clear preference for Europe's stronger appreciation for it. But does not go deeper, to justify that preference, and convince the reader of privacy's importance.