The Oxford Dictionary defines privacy as: "A state in which
one is not observed or disturbed by other people." The
internet, satellite technologies, mobile devices,
hyper-connectivity and big data have already dented the
definition.
Can privacy survive the internet?
Edward Snowden's revelations about the lengths to which the
US National Security Agency has gone to access personal data have
already dealt a further blow to the notion of personal privacy.
We are now moving to a new era described by technophiles as the
"internet of things" where not only are people connected
to the internet, so are devices and sensors. It is conceivable that
in the future an in-car sensor will report to an insurance company
when you are driving above the speed limit and modify your premium
in real time.
