Locative Media & The City

On MSNB.com under the Tech tab on the front page, is an entire section devoted to “Privacy Lost.” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15157222/ The articles in this section cover some of the issues raised over the course of the semester, such as how we are tracked, recorded, and if anyone really even cares or not. In the article, our digital breadcrumbs that we scatter recklessly is compared to being caught naked in the 21st century (hence the title). Based on surveys, it looks as though a lot of Americans care, but no one knows enough about the issue or cares enough to take a stand. Not that this is a surprising action for Americans to take, seeing as most Americans don’t even take advantage of their right to vote. But according to a survey administered by MSNBC.com, 60% of people said they were worried about their privacy being taken away. That’s a pretty big number- particularly when you see the next percentage, which is that only 7% of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Most people would rather take a discount and have their movements tracked with E-Z Pass rather than maintain their anonymity. And how many of you have those Wegman’s or other grocery store tags on your key chain so that you can save a few dimes on each visit? I know I do. And until recently, I didn’t realize how I was being tracked just with that little piece of plastic- let alone my bigger plastic cards, the credit cards. Like Internet cookies, which is an incredibly ambiguous title for a technology that tracks our virtual movements, it seems part of the problem is that the wool is being pulled over our eyes. There is history to fall back on for most policies, but mass tracking of movement and identity is something entirely new. While politicians try to figure out if it’s legal for phone companies to maintain a database of all calls customers make, the big guys are operating on a take what we want now and answer questions later. Or at least that is how I see it. I don’t think that the majority of the public is informed enough to realize all the little ways their information is being tracked and privacy lost, so that is a major part of the problem. And part of the reason there is only 7% of Americans changing their behaviors. How does one learn not to jaywalk without being informed of the consequences? One of the articles talks about this as well: “You may think your cell phone is unlisted, but if you've ever ordered a pizza, it might not be. Merlin is one of many commercial data brokers that advertises sale of unlisted phone numbers compiled from various sources -- including pizza delivery companies. These unintended, unpredictable consequences that flow from simple actions make privacy issues difficult to grasp, and grapple with.” Without history to fall back on, I think there is a lot of confusion about how our privacy is being stolen, who is taking it, and if it is even theft? I’m curious what you guys think: do you think that when you call Pizza Hut, the person who answers should say “Pizza Hut, may I take your order, and please be advised that your phone number is now being catalogued and sold to various companies?” Or in an age of information overload, does no one really care or have the time to care?