MiguelLozoyaBurciaga

NoCountryforOldPrivateMen
Idontthinkprivacyhasaplaceinthedirectionweasacivilizationareheading.The
directionisbeingmadeclearbyouruseoftechnology,theinternetandcomputersbringabouta
newwayofthinkingaboutprivacyandchallengeitsimportanceinmodernlife.Mythoughts
werenotalwaysthisway.Myunderstandingofprivacywasbasedonsocialnormsandmy
personalexperiences.ItwasntuntilIreflectedontherolethatprivacyplayedinmydaytoday
lifeanditsroleonothersthathelpedmedefineitasunnecessary.
Growingup,IdidntvalueprivacyasmuchasIdotoday,nordidIactivelyseekto
protectmyprivacyandthatofothers.IwasborninGuadalajara,Jalisco.Wearrivedinthe
UnitedStateswhenIwasveryyoungandlivedinCaliforniawithanimmigrantvisa.Myfamily
offivestartedoutwithverylittle,wehavenotlivedinahomethatweowntothisday.
Economiclimitationsmadeitsoweusuallylivedinsmallapartments,thismeantsharingtwoor
fewerroomsandalmostalwayssharingasinglebathroom.
Onebathroommeansthatthereisusuallymorethanonepersonoccupyingthespaceata
time.Ifsomeonewasshowering,itdidntmeantheyhadcontrolofthebathroom.Mornings
createdaconstanttrafficinandoutofthebathroomandifyouwerecommittedtotakinga
showerbeforeschool,youneededtoacceptthattherewouldbeothersoccupyingthebathroom
alongsideyou.Ofcoursethiscreatedaveryopendefinitionofprivacy.Havingasingle
televisionandasinglefamilycomputerreinforcedthelackofprivacy.
Duringthoseearlyyears,myprivacyorlackofitdidnothindermyabilitytodoasI
wanted.Therewaslittleknowledgethatonememberofthefamilyknewthatanotherdidnot,

livingsocloselymeantalmosteverythingwasoutintheopen.Therewerefew,ifany,hiding
placestostoreprivateinformation.Itmeantthatanythingyouwerewillingtodohadbestbesafe
todoinfrontoftherestofthefamily.Perhapsbecauseofthis,Ididntpracticethingstoobizarre
nordidIexperimentinoverlyriskybehaviour.ItwasntuntilIgainedknowledgeofmyhistory
thatprivacystartedbeinganissueandmydefinitionofprivacybroadenedoutsidemyown
home.
MyparentsfeltthedangersinMexicogrowingandwantedtofindasaferplacetolive.
Theytrieddesperatelytonaturalizeus,butaftermanyfailedattemptsthevisasexpiredandmy
parentsdecidedtokeepthefamilyintheUnitedStates.WhenIfiguredoutmylegalstatus,Iwas
toldtokeepitasecret.Knowledgeofmystatuscouldhaveleadtodifficultiessuchasthe
deportationofmyfamilyintheworstofcases.Ifnotdeportation,Ifearedsocialexclusionat
schoolamongthosearoundme.Thus,privacyofinformationbecamerelevanttome,the
knowledgeofmylegalstatuscouldnotbesharedopenly.
Thoughthisisaprivacypaperisbasedonmyownthoughtsofprivacy,Iamapartofa
societythatdeterminesandisdeterminedbythecollaborationofpersonalbeliefs.Nowadays,
manyAmericansbelievethatwearelosingourrightstoprivacy.Suchrightsareupheldsocially
inwesternsocietiesbutarealsohintedatbyoursovereignlaws.TheUnitedStatesBillofRights
establishesseveralamendmentstotheconstitutionthatreflecthowIinterpretprivacy.
Thefirstamendmentestablishesfreedomofreligion,freedomofspeech,orofthepress
therightofthepeoplepeaceablytoassemble,andtopetitiontheGovernmentforaredressof
grievances.Thisprotectsprivatespacesuchasthatcreatedwhenagroupisprotesting.Thethird
amendmentestablishesthatnosoldier,intimeofwarorpeacemaybequarteredinanyhouse,

withoutconsentoftheowner.Thefourthamendmentestablishestherightofthepeopletobe
secureintheirpersons,houses,papers,andeffects,againstunreasonablesearchesandseizures.
Thesetwoamendmentsreflectwhatismostcommonlyacceptedasprivacy,therighttobe
secureinyourperson,home,papers,andeffects.ThisisallwellacceptedbyAmericansandis
reflectedinmyownviews.
WhatIvedescribedsofararetwotypestakesonprivacy:onethatcanberelatedwith
personalspaceandtheotherconcerningprivateknowledge/information.Thetwohavea
commoncorebuttheirimplicationsonmodernlifeareverydistinctandareacauseformuch
controversy.Thatofknowledgehasbecomeacatalystofdiscussion.
ManyAmericanstodayfeelthatwearelosingourrightstoprivateknowledgeandeven
space.Newtechnologymakesitveryeasyforpeopletoacquirepersonalinformation.Thisis
widelyseenasmalicious,butthegroupsofpeoplethatdoitarenotonlyundergroundgroups
tryingtostealidentitiesormoney.Largecompaniesandgovernmentgroupsareculpritsofthis
aswell.Socialmediasitesarethoughttorestrictyourinformationtoonlyyouandthoseyou
wanttoknowit,butthisisfarfromthetruth.Onceyouputinformationuponawebsite,itisout
thereforanyonetosee.Thisinformationisoftenusedbyretailerstobettertargettheirconsumer
groups.Insomecases,personalinformationisthoughttobeusedbythegovernmenttoprotect
againstpossiblethreats.
AgrowingissueintheUnitedStatesiswhethergroupsliketheNationalSecurityAgency
,NSA,orFederalBureauofInvestigations,FBI,havetherighttoaccesspersonalinformation.
TheAmericanCivilLibertiesUniondescribesarticle215ofthepatriotactasfollows:


Section215allowstheFBItoorderanypersonorentitytoturnover"anytangiblethings,"so
longastheFBI"specif[ies]"thattheorderis"foranauthorizedinvestigation...toprotectagainst
internationalterrorismorclandestineintelligenceactivities."

ThishasbeenacatalystofdebatesinceitwasfirstpassedaftertheactsperformedonSeptember
11th2001.Theyspecifythatitismeanttoprotectagainstinternationalterrorismorclandestine
intelligenceactivities,butwhatmanyfearisthatthoseinpowercanusethislimitsourprivacy
nowandcanbeusedasaprecedenttofurtherlimitprivacyinthefuture.Thoughthismaybe
true,therealimplicationsaretheethicsbehindsuchactions.Isinvasionofprivacyethicalifitis
forthegreatergood?
Accordingtotheclassdefinitionofethics,
apersondefineshisorherownethicalsystem
bydecidingwhatisthe"right"thingtodowhenfacedwithachoicethatchallengeshisorhervalues.
Youaretheonlypersonwhocandeterminewhetherornotyourindividualactionsareethical.
Sothe

ethicalquestionisbasedonwhatIvaluemost,andthismustbeaskedbyeveryindividualwhois
willingtodecideonthisissue.IhavetoaskmyselfifIvaluemypersonalinformationbeingkept
secretmorethanIvaluegovernmentgroupskeepingitscountryscitizenssafe.Iholdmysafety
andthesafetyofthosearoundmeabovekeepinginformationprivate.BecauseofthisIamfor
governmenttohaveaccesstopersonalinformation,asscaryasthiscanbeforsome,thereare
benefitstofulldisclosure.
JustasIlearnedthathavingfulldisclosurewithinmyfamilyleadtoashared
responsibilityandstrongcohesionbetweenmyfamilymembers,Ibelievethatfulldisclosure
amongcitizensisvitalinhavinganunderstandingandcooperatingcivilization.Whenissuesare
broughtoutintheopen,weallhavetheopportunitytolearnthebestsolution.Thissolutionis

notreachedquickly,mostofthetimetheproblemwithfulldisclosurearetheimmediaterisks
suchasfacingdeportationinmyexamplementionedearlier.ButwhatIlearnedfromthiswas
thatbeingopenaboutinregardstopeopleinamericafacingdeportationwasthattherewere
optionsbeyonddeportation.Whenweareopenaboutourprivateliveswelearnthatwearenot
allthatdifferent.Welearnthatsharingouropinionsandexperiencesisnotalwaysacceptedbut
isnecessarytoeventuallyreachtheacceptanceorseeproblemsinourselves.
Idontseetruevalueinprivacybeyondtheimmediateavoidanceofsomethingwe
believewilloccuronceyourprivacyisinvaded.Thisincludesspatialprivacyaswellasthat
whichconcernsprivacyofknowledge.Weareasmuchapartofthisplanetasitisapartofus,
weareamuchamemberofsocietyassocietyisamemberofourselves.Thesoonerwecanlearn
toputourselvesineachothersshoes,thesoonerwecanbringanendtoinjusticesandcommence
aneraofcoexistence.Thiswillonlycomeaboutifweletgoofthevaluewegivetoownership.
Asweadvanceasasociety,wemustadvanceourwayofthinking.Technologymakesit
moreandmoredifficulttokeepthingsprivate,theinternetandcomputersarecreatingamore
connectedworld.Insteadoffightingit,weshouldembraceitbyredefiningourvalueonprivacy.
Theimmediatedrawbackfrombeingopeninregardtoprivatespaceandinformationarejusta
necessarybumpintheroadtoabetterwayofliving.