The Importance Of Privacy On The Internet

The idea of Identity and privacy plays an important role on everyday life in regards to ICTs. Privacy is a human right, whether this be at home or online. People should be allowed to share only the things they would like to be seen by other people but on the internet this is not the case. Anything that is posted on the internet cannot be removed; it leaves a digital footprint that can be tracked. Tracking can be as simple as looking at an Amazon review you wrote with an account linked to your credit card or matching your internet history with your IP address. (Schwabach, 2006)

“The access others have to you through information, attention, and physical proximity.” (Nissenbaum, 2010)

Being able to determine “when, how, and to what extent information

This will allow the 'action at a distance' and remote control from cities, allowing them to extend their domination over more and more distant places. (Graham, 1997)

The myth of universal access

This myth is that social access to new telecommunications technologies and services will somehow diffuse to be truly universal and equal. (Graham, 1997)

Universal access to telecommunication is available today but the problem that arises is while universal access can be had, it is still limited to those people who are able to afford it. Computers modems needs electricity to power them and telephone companies charge for the “privilege” to use the internet. (Graham, 1997)

This makes a divide both physically and online between the higher class who can afford telecommunication and those who cant. (Graham, 1997)

The ability to access the internet and have a voice online can often be seen as power but in some countries people who communicate online regularly such as India still have low wages, but on the other side using the internet to communicate has helped activists gain power. (Graham,

These initiatives blend satellite and optic fibres networks and are used in order to position cities as sites for investment and telecommunications competition for multinational service and manufacturing corporations. (Graham, 1997)

The second policy that I looked at was that cities have host computer systems. These are civic networks and there are over two thousands of these “virtual cities” for example Amsterdam is a virtual city, this is set up in the aim at boosting the development of cities by telematics to connect the economic, social and cultural aspect. These increasingly characterize contemporary cities. (Graham, 1997)

From my understanding of the five myths that I have explained it is clear that while the age of telecommunication has had many benefits is not without some complications. When relating the myths to privacy and identity some of these myths cannot be debunked as easily.

The myth of technological determinism in relation to privacy and identity as we lose out on privacy when we access the internet, this is allowing are technology to have evolve to better understand are needs. Therefore proving that technological determinism is a part of our daily