Right to privacy vs right to freedom of speech and freedom of the media
The Murdoch press phone hacking scandal in the UK provides ammunition to those who want to call for even more teeth for Australia’s privacy legislation.
Mind you the media are fighting back hard arguing that freedom of the press is an essential freedom for democracy.
Privacy is a nasty two edged sword nowadays. Little more than a decade ago it was unremarkable to know people’s names and straight-forward contact details like their phone number and address. This was all readily available in the phone book anyway. It wasn’t a problem except in extreme cases such as an angry ex-spouse and protection was available in those cases.
Computers have changed all that. Databases steadily accummulating a vast amount of electronic information on all of us. Social networking sites and email that make sharing information with the whole world a cinch. Identity theft has now become a real security risk we all face. Our identities and all our financial details are digital. Scary stuff.
Then there were the telemarketers who rang us at tea-time each evening in droves to pester us to buy or donate. Those seem to have been brought under good control. One of our ex-locals our former neighbour Darren was responsible for setting up the national Don’t Call service and I thank him many times over. If we do get a call from someone trying to sell us something it is easy to tell them that they are breaking the law.
Another example of misuse of our personal data that leaves a bad taste in the mouth is the way political parties use it. Firstly the Australian Electoral Commission is required to pass on the electoral roll with all our names addresses telephone numbers ages and occupations electronically to political parties thereby making it easier for them to transfer it into their software systems that they use to track voter intentions. Electonic updates of the roll are provided to political parties every month. Political parties systematically gather further information from all their phone and contacts with voters and add it into the database which they use powerful software to analyse.
These are nasty examples of what is done with misuse of our personal information and we are desperate to protect ourselves against them.
In the process we lose so much. We lose the ability to know the names of the people who join our little local club unless we find ways to set up systems to get people to sign away their right to privacy in this regard. Which of cause makes us go into an overdrive of wariness. The tiniest details about ourselves become sacrosanct so that simple non-commercial communications become a nightmare. Husbands and wives have to sign complex formal consent forms with every organisation they can think of just so they can act like a couple with shared interests. Informal networks of meaningful helpful relationships are disempowered because they are unable to meet the heavy legalistic requirements of the Privacy Act.
Somehow we need to find a way to protect ourselves in the electronic world while still being able to be human and friendly in the world of neighbours and locals. Any suggestions?