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Since Katherine Mieszkowski wrote "Nowhere Left to Hide," the events of September 11, 2001,
have increased the demand for and development of digital technology that captures and analyzes
images. Face– and fingerprint-recognition technology used at airports and for access to other
public spaces is heralded as a necessary preventative measure for some and as a dangerous
infringement on civil liberties by others. The issue of surveillance and privacy on the
Internet–where the interactive nature of the medium makes tracking individual habits
effortless–raises still other privacy debates. Once downloaded for example, software called
"spyware" tracks the web sites you visit, records how long you spend on each page, gathers
personal data, and then sends back a user profile to marketing companies that automatically
serve up carefully targeted ads.
Go to a news site with a focus on technology such as Wired News,
The Washington Post's tech news section,
or an organization devoted to online privacy such as the
Online Privacy Alliance
or the Privacy Foundation.
Gather as much reliable information as you can on spyware or another current issue in privacy related
to Internet usage, such as "web bugs." Then argue for or against the use of spyware or similar software.
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