Page 3: Tanya Rider’s Story

Unit 1, Lab 4, Page 3

On this page, you will read a story that shows how complex privacy issues can be and learn about the massive expansion of digital information.

  1. Read Blown to Bits pages 1-4. As you read, be prepared to discuss the following:

    • According to the authors, what are some things that have changed as a result of computers?
    • What do the authors mean by “explosion of bits”?

Another news story about Tanya Rider: Experience: I was trapped in a ravine for eight days (The Guardian)

  1. Police couldn’t access Tanya Rider’s records because of her right to privacy. Is there a way to make a policy that preserves one’s right to privacy and also makes sure a person like Tanya Rider gets rescued? Of the two positions below, which one do you agree with and why? If you think they are both reasonable, make an argument for each. What do you think the policy should be?

    • Position A: The right to privacy isn’t just an abstract principle. Sometimes for example, people disappear to hide from people who might hurt them. When a person is reported missing, the police can’t assume that’s the whole story; they have to follow the rules even if that delays some rescues. Also, maybe that person is trying to avoid the police!
    • Position B: The police should be able to check the location of a phone right away to search for a missing person, perhaps with a rule that they can’t use the information for any other purpose, or disclose it to anyone, without permission from a court.