SX1009 Rights in the Digital Society

SX1009 Rights in the Digital Society

Wendy MoncurDept. of Computing Science

Rights in the Digital Society

• Freedom of expression and privacy: civil rights in a digital society

• Ownership in a digital world

• Cyber-crime, cyber-terrorism and cyber-bullying

• Information credibility and authority in a Web2.0 world

• Details of assessment

The extent of the Digital Society• Recording everything, forgetting nothing

• Where?– Internet – Mobile phones– Cameras– Smart appliances– Buildings– Furniture– Vehicles– clothing– .......

The extent of the Digital Society

“By year end 2012, physical sensors will create 20% of non-video internet traffic.”

Gartner Groupwww.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=876512

Civil rights: Freedom of expression

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5020788.stm

Civil rights: Freedom of expression

Civil rights: Privacy

• Who stores our data?• Where?• Who can access it?• What does this data say

about us?

Civil rights: Privacy

• MPs expenses scandal triggered by info on FaceBook

Ownership in a digital world

• Who ‘owns’ this photo?

• Who can delete it?

• What is your impression of these people?• Would you employ them?

Ownership in a digital world

Cyber-crime

• financial scams• computer hacking• downloading pornographic

images from the internet• virus attacks• stalking by e-mail • creating websites that promote

racial hatred• ..... and more.....

“...the use of any computer network for crime” British Police

Cyber-crime: a big problem

• 90% of US companies detected computer security breaches in the previous year

• 74% acknowledged financial losses as a result of the breaches of security

• 273 organisations quantified their financial losses: the total bill came to $265m.

• 25% of respondents detected penetration from outside their company

• 79% detected employee abuse of the internet, for example downloading pornography or pirated software

• 85% detected computer viruses

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk/2001/life_of_crime/cybercrime.stm

Cyber-terrorism

“Terrorist groups are increasingly using new information technology and the Internet to formulate plans, raise funds, spread propaganda, and engage in secure communications.

Cyberterrorism-–meaning the use of cyber tools to shut down critical national infrastructures (such as energy, transportation, or government operations) for the purpose of coercing or intimidating a government or civilian population–-is clearly an emerging threat.”

Dale L. Watson, Executive Assistant Director, Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence Division, FBI

http://www2.fbi.gov/congress/congress02/watson020602.htm

Cyber-bullying

• What constitutes cyber-bullying?

Information credibility

•Data is not perfect

•Whose fault was this accident?

http://www.sexoffendertrackerapp.com/

Information credibility

Publicly available app.

• Sense of safety, or greater fear?

• Is the information correct?

• Does this app incite illegal vigilante activity?

“Sex Offender Tracker App is a new mobile app that provides users with access to the location of registered sex offenders through the lens of augmented reality.”

http://www.sexoffendertrackerapp.com/

A Balancing Act

Information credibility and authority in a Web2.0 world

Freedom of expression

Right to Privacy

Ownership of online materials

Cyber-crime, cyber-terrorism

Cyber-bullying

Assessment (1)In the practical, you will be randomly assigned to a

group, and to one of the following topics:

A. Google StreetView (and similar applications)B. Sensors to monitor elderly people in their homesC. Activist websites – eg- environmental, political. Choose

at least one specific example.D. UK use of CCTVE. Wikileaks Iraq War logs

Assessment (2)

• You will take part in an online debate about your allocated topic.

• You will either put forward arguments about the advantages or disadvantages of the debate topic, depending on your group.

Assessment (3): What to debate?

• Arguments should cover relevant aspects of:– Civil rights in a digital society – Ownership in a digital society – Cyber-crime/ cyber-terrorism/ cyber-bullying – Information credibility and authority in a Web 2.0

world

Some rules....• You should only argue your allocated side of the argument, even if you do not

really agree with it.

• You are expected to use grammatically correct English. No text-speak please.

• Your arguments should be well thought through, and based in the research that you do on your topic.

• Your arguments should only be about the topic. They should be courteous, even if you disagree strongly with someone else's opinion.

• You will be marked both on your individual contribution to the debate, and on your support of other students who are taking the same stance as you (ie - positive or negative). Marks will be given for the number and content of your arguments.