The Death of Privacy

The internet has fundamentally changed the way we live. In recent years, the boundaries between the online world and the offline world have become increasingly blurred and, in many instances, there is no longer a difference between the two. Our world is the online world; digital communications are an integral part of modern society and the internet has been extensively integrated into daily life.

Over the last 15 years, there have been many significant changes as a result of the emergence of digital communication tools. Social media has introduced new methods of interaction and news media has moved online with dramatic consequences for journalism. Living in such an environment has meant that we have modified the way we live. There are major implications for how we value privacy and it remains unclear as to whether privacy can, or should, exist anymore. Cyber security threats are a critical concern for businesses and governments, with the use of internet communications by terrorists also posing a serious problem.

In this book, Laura Toogood explores the impact of living in a fully-integrated digital world where citizens can no longer opt out and where there are significant difficulties with providing resilient defence mechanisms. She argues that what is needed is an international stance when considering the consequences of living in a world where, in many cases, technology is developing quicker than the human ability to adapt.