Privacy and security in the digital age: Contemporary ethical challenges and future directions

Privacy is at the core of civil rights from which all other human rights and freedoms flow. Since the twentieth century, and particularly since 9/11, rapid deployment of information and surveillance technologies in the name of national security has grave implications for individual privacy and human rights. This article reviews major strands in contemporary privacy-security debate, while critiquing existing conceptualisations of privacy that are inadequate in the context of multifaceted and ubiquitous surveillance technologies post 9/11. Further, this paper contends most privacy-security debate overlooks unequal consequences for targeted populations (e.g. people of Middle Eastern, Arab or South Asian descent and Muslims). Finally, the paper emphasises the need for more accountability on part of the watchers and more expansive notions of privacy and security to uphold the well-being of individuals, society and democracy.