Privacy is protection from unwanted interference or intrusion, including boundaries against unwanted access to our bodies and possessions as well as against surveillance of our communications and information. It is recognized as an important, fundamental right in many countries, enshrined in the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as well as in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Information privacy issues have become especially prominent in recent decades, as the internet has made it possible - and, in many cases, very profitable - for businesses, governments, and other actors to harness the enormous amounts of personal data we generate every day through our activities online and on our smartphones. While the algorithms and data science of the big data era have produced incredibly valuable applications that enrich our lives in many ways, there are also growing concerns surrounding the challenges of preventing our data from being used by companies in unauthorized or unethical ways.
For tech companies, privacy and information ethics isn’t just an abstract discussion. As privacy law has caught up with the digital age, companies now face serious regulatory compliance requirements in this area, as well as potential civil and even criminal liabilities from the misuse of personal data. As importantly, breaches of privacy and the trust of your users can turn a data management failure into a brand management catastrophe, as companies perceived to have untrustworthy privacy practices can suffer enormous damage to their public reputation.‎
