The Transparent Society (1998 is a non-fiction book by the science-fiction author David Brin in which he forecasts the erosion of privacy, as it is overtaken by low-cost surveillance, communication and database technology. Glen David Brin, PhD (born October 6, 1950) is an American scientist and award-winning author of Science fiction. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Non-fiction is an account or representation of a subject which is presented as Fact. Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a Book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with Cloth Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. Glen David Brin, PhD (born October 6, 1950) is an American scientist and award-winning author of Science fiction. Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively Surveillance is the monitoring of Behavior. Systems surveillance is the process of monitoring the behavior of people objects or processes within systems for conformity Communication is the process of conveying information from a sender to a receiver with the use of a medium in which the communicated information is understood the same way A Computer Database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system The work first appeared as a magazine article by Brin in Wired in late 1996. Wired is a full-color monthly American Magazine and on-line periodical published in San Francisco, California since March 1993 ^[1] In 2008, security expert Bruce Schneier called the work a myth,^[2] a description Brin rebutted,^[3] because it ignores wide differences in the relative power of those who access information. Bruce Schneier (born 15 January 1963) is an American Cryptographer, Computer security specialist and Writer. ^[2]

Synopsis

David Brin with sousveillance "maybecamera" at the Association of Computing Machinery's (ACM's) CFP conference where such a sousveillance device was given to each attendee. Brin participated in the Opening Keynote on the "inverse panopticon".

Brin argues that true privacy will be lost in the "transparent society"; however, we have the choice between one that offers the illusion of privacy by restricting the power of surveillance to authorities, or one that destroys that illusion by offering everyone access (including the ability to watch the watchers). He argues that it would be good for society if the surveillance is equal for all, and the public has the same access as those in power. He bases this argument upon the claim that the most dangerous and corrupt abuses of power go hand-in-hand with a lack of accountability and transparency. The collation of all publicly and privately available personal data in the United States by the Information Awareness Office is viewed by some as a move towards the more pessimistic of the possible futures envisaged by Brin in his book. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Information Awareness Office (IAO was established by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA the research and development agency of the United States

Brin also has written a novel, Kiln People, placed in a future where cameras are everywhere and everybody can access the public ones and, for a fee, the private ones. Kiln People is a 2002 Science fiction Novel by David Brin. It was published in the UK under the title Kil'n People

Inverse transparency and bi-directional transparency

Transparency is sometimes confused with equiveillance (the balance between surveillance and sousveillance). Equiveillance is the a state of equilibrium or a desire to attain a state of equilibrium between Surveillance and Sousveillance. Surveillance is the monitoring of Behavior. Systems surveillance is the process of monitoring the behavior of people objects or processes within systems for conformity Sousveillance (suːˈveɪləns original French) as well as inverse surveillance are terms coined by Steve Mann to describe the recording of an activity This balance (equilibrium) allows the individual to construct their own case from evidence they gather themselves, rather than merely having access to surveillance data that could possibly incriminate them. Sousveillance therefore, in addition to Transparency, assures contextual integrity of surveillance data (i. e. a lifelong capture of personal experience can provide "best evidence" over surveillance data to prevent the surveillance-only data from being taken out of context).

Somewhat more nuanced than simply being "against privacy," Brin spends an entire chapter exploring how important some degree of privacy is for most human beings, allowing them moments of intimacy, to exchange confidences, and to prepare - in some security - for the competitive world. Nevertheless, he suggests that we currently have more privacy than our ancestors, in part, because "the last two hundred years have opened information flows, rather than shutting them down. Citizens are more able to catch violators of their rights - and hold them accountable - than commonfolk were in the old villages, that were dominated local gentry, gossips and bullies. "

This might seem counter-intuitive at first. But he uses the song "Harper Valley PTA" as a metaphor for how people can protect their eccentricities, and even some privacy, by assertively "looking back. " Harper Valley PTA " is a Country music song written by Tom T " Brin also points to restaurants, in which social disapproval keeps people from staring and eavesdropping, even though they can. With enforcement possible because everybody can see.

From this perspective, a coming era of "most of the people, knowing most of what's going on, most of the time," would only be an extension of what already gave us the Enlightenment, freedom and privacy. By comparison, he asks what the alternative would be: "To pass privacy laws that will be enforced by elites, and trust them to refrain from looking at us?"

Brin participated in the opening keynote panel discussion at the 2005 Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Computers, Freedom, and Privacy conference, where 500 sousveillance devices were also created to contextualize and explore this debate further. The Association for Computing Machinery, or ACM, was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational Computing society (Each attendee was given a wearable camera-dome bag which created, in effect, an inverse panopticon. The Panopticon is a type of Prison building designed by English architect Jeremy Bentham in 1785 )

See also

• Transparency (humanities)

Notes

External links

• Brin, David (December, 1996). "The Transparent Society". Wired (4. 12). CondéNet.  
• At Brin's official pages.
• The pitfalls of privacy.
• Sample chapter
• Sousveillance blog
• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Computers Freedom and Privacy (CFP) Opening Keynote in which Brin participated
• Book overview for RAND's list of 50 books for understanding the future human condition

Reviews

• Gross, Neil. The RAND Corporation ( R esearch AN d D evelopment is a Nonprofit global policy Think tank first formed to offer research and analysis "Everyone Is Living in a Fishbowl", BusinessWeek, The McGraw-Hill Companies, 1998. Retrieved on 2008-03-14. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice.  
• Frye, Curtis D. . "Review of The Transparent Society", Technology & Society Book Reviews, Curtis D. Frye, 1998. Retrieved on 2008-03-14. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice.  
• Finnern, Mark. "Transparent Society Update", Acceleration Studies Foundation Future Salon blog, August 15, 2004. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Retrieved on 2008-03-14. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice.