So, what data do we actually control? Boils down to what you see when you close your eyes.
#3256 Created 03/31/2013 Updated 04/27/2017
It was observed that "attention" is related to "privacy" in that they are different views of the same thing. Or, they are a binary pair, not exactly opposites, but perhaps sister moons of the same planet.
A problem with privacy is that it is only somewhat about the control of information. To say that you are private, or have privacy, is to imply that you can control how much of your data is "revealed" to the view. But we cannot control how much data is revealed, because we do not control very much of the data about ourselves.
Our official data -- birth certificate, driver's license, street address, academic records, criminal history, voter registration -- is known and owned by various governments and institutions. Much of it, being official, may already merged into databases of consumer information.
Our consumption data -- credit card purchases, electric and utility bills, food and gasoline -- are recorded by retailers and providers. Our communications data -- calls made, emails sent, service subscriptions, movies watched -- are known to our carriers and broadband providers (and the NSA, Russian Intelligence, the Israelis, General Motors, Google, some teenagers in Phoenix, Russian criminals, etc.).
Our Web data -- browsing histories, likes and shares, online relationships, memberships, posted comments -- is owned by the various browsers, web sites and services through which our connections pass.
Our physical presence -- where we are, where we go, who we visit -- is indexed in our pockets on every phone call, text message, photograph, or tweet. Our movements are viewed by traffic and security cameras everywhere, and RFID receivers in commercial establishment can detect and identify us as we walk by.
So, what data do we actually control? Boils down to what you see when you close your eyes.
Privacy and attention pairs:
Privacy--attention ---------------------------------
not observed .... observing
not known .... known
elite/weatlthy .. masses
protect data .... show data
security .... exposure
controlled .... unrestrained
Attention: In, Out
Privacy: Protected, Visible
