Where did you leave data tracks today? Who has access to your data and what will they do with it? In the age of surveillance capitalism, these questions are often met with two answers: “Who cares? I have nothing to hide.” or “Who cares? Every company harvests our data, so protecting it is hopeless!” While the reality is that everyone probably does have something to hide, privacy is not about secrecy or hiding but about preserving human agency and identity. Embracing what has come to be called privacy nihilism allows big tech companies to continue to ratchet up their surveillance and algorithmic control practices. In this talk, privacy literacy advocates Kevin Adams and Rai Yiannakos will discuss some of the recent research on the societal and individual impacts of data collection to help attendees overcome privacy nihilism. Attendees will learn about how different devices, apps, and websites track and collect personal and behavioral information, enabling one’s own risk analysis and identify steps that one takes to protect personal information and data.
The Bergren Forum, sponsored by the Division of Human Studies and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, runs from 12:15 to 1:10 p.m. on Thursdays in Nevins Theatre, Powell Campus Center and by Zoom. Bring a brown bag lunch if you wish. Coffee and tea will be provided. For further information contact or a calendar invite with the Zoom link, contact John D’Angelo at [email protected].
