Book Review, Database Nation

Database Nation
The Death of Privacy
in the 21st Century

Database Nation

By Simson Garfinkel

O'Reilly & Associates, 2000

ISBN 1-56592-653-6

This book is a comprehensive survey of the abuses that have, and are, taking place in our society by the ever-increasing and pervasive collection and centralization of personal data. And this book looks very critically at the role that technology plays in this viscious spiral.

The author starts out with an attempt at defining privacy -

• "Privacy is about self-possession, autononomy, and integrity. ... It is the right of people to control what details of their lives stay inside their houses and what leaks to the outside."

The book wraps up with an extensive discussion of what can be done, and what is being done, and what should be done, in the years to come to restore the trust of everyone whose lives are being impacted. Some of the areas covered are -

• Privacy is not neutral
• A government Privacy agenda for the 21st century
• Revising the Fair Credit Reporting Act
• Rethinking the concept of onsent
• Importance of computer security
• Restoring the Office of Technology Assessment
• Restoring personal privacy
• Privacy's radical fringe.

Reviewed by E. Stiltner
Copyright (©) 2000

More information is available at the author's website -

• http://www.databasenation.com/

More information is available at the publisher's website -

• http://www.oreilly.com/

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