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With the rise of big data and surveillance capitalism, our privacy is increasingly under threat. But discussions of how to protect privacy are often derailed by disagreements over what exactly it is.
In this book, Kieron O’Hara sets out to demystify privacy. He reveals that much of the conflict around it results from taking different perspectives that veil key assumptions and disguise points of agreement. Focusing on the seven most important perspectives, he offers a framework for negotiating this important but complex topic.
Expertly blending insights from philosophy, sociology, law and computing, and presenting plenty of real-world examples, O’Hara’s The seven veils of privacy is both an ideal introduction to the field and a challenging critique of it.
‘How should we talk about privacy? Before you answer that question, read this book.’
Woodrow Hartzog, author of Privacy’s Blueprint
‘O’Hara gives us a refreshingly provocative, learned, distinctive and lively book about privacy that will stimulate important debates.’
Charles Raab, Professor Emeritus, University of Edinburgh
‘O’Hara sorts and sifts the different claims for what is and what is not "privacy”. I wish I had access to this excellent survey when I started out as UK Information Commissioner.’
Christopher Graham, UK Information Commissioner, 2009–16
'A highly informative book for readers who want to understand privacy through its value, definition, usage and context. Readers will get a stronger sense of what privacy is – and what it is not – by reflecting on the context of the topic, ranging from the personal level to societal realms. Kieron O’Hara sets out to solve the problem of defining privacy by examining its historical and various cultural understandings.'
Kat Fuller, The Sociological Review
Introduction: the goal of this book
Part I: A concept in disarray?
Part II: Explaining the disarray
Part III: A framework for privacy discourses
Part IV: Commentary on the framework
Part V: Topics in privacy studies
Conclusion: privacy in the time of COVID
Index