Charting unknown cyber-seas and the dangers for privacy
25 Sep 2007 | Bernie Goldie
An academic in the University of Wollongong’s Faculty of Informatics has been invited to make a presentation at the 29th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners being held in Montreal, Canada, from 25-28 September.
Dr M.G.Michael, an Honorary Fellow in the School of Information Systems and Technology, is presenting the talk, “überveillance: 24/7 x 365 People Tracking and Monitoring”. He prepared the presentation in partnership with his wife, Dr Katina Michael, also from UOW’s Faculty of Informatics.
The couple introduced the new concept of ‘überveillance’ which is now being embraced by a number of leading privacy researchers. It refers to an exaggerated surveillance and goes beyond the notion of ‘dataveillance’.
M.G.Michael defines the emerging concept of überveillance as an “above and beyond omnipresent 24/7 surveillance”.
The problem, he said, is that in human terms at least “omnipresence will not always equate with omniscience – hence the real concern for misinformation, misinterpretation and information manipulation”.
Katina said technology was becoming more powerful each year, making it harder for people to go about their daily lives without being watched by the state and private sector.
“At this year’s conference, we are charting these unknown cyber-seas and the dangers they hold for privacy,” Katina said.
She said that data commissioners have always struggled to enforce privacy rights.
“Since the turn of the millennium, however, the challenge has become greater even as more countries embrace the concept of data protection and introduce privacy laws. Pressure for security measures that intrude into the private lives of citizens has grown with the global war on terror.
“All kinds of technologies – data mining, geo-tracking, remote-sensing technology, video-surveillance linked to the World Wide Web – have now matured and are readily available around the world. Global information systems have also come of age, sending endless streams of data around the planet. The sun never sets on your personal information in this new world,” Katina said.
The keynote address at the conference is being delivered by the Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, Mr Michael Chertoff.
The conference website is http://www.privacyconference2007.gc.ca/Terra_Incognita_home_E.html
The Media Unit has a high-resolution photo of Dr M.G.Michael upon request by emailling Bernie Goldie at bgoldie@uow.edu.au
For further information contact Dr Katina Michael on (02) 4221 3937 or mobile 0431 201172 (m).
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