The article suggests that the same phenomenon is happening with internet surveillance and privacy, with each generation becoming accustomed to the privacy norms of their youth. It calls for a holistic approach to privacy and security, similar to how fisheries scientists now look at the entire ecosystem to determine sustainable catch limits. The author argues for a scientifically informed and democratic regulatory process to preserve privacy rights while allowing companies to recoup costs for services they provide.
Key takeaways:
- Microsoft has been monitoring its AI users to identify state-backed hackers, raising questions about privacy and surveillance.
- The concept of 'shifting baseline syndrome', originally identified in fisheries management, is used to explain how our collective expectations of privacy have declined over time, due to each generation becoming accustomed to the privacy status quo of their youth.
- Modern technology, including AI chatbots and cloud-based systems, makes surveillance easier and contributes to the erosion of privacy.
- The article suggests that, like fisheries scientists, privacy and security experts should take a big-picture perspective, looking at what a healthy technological ecosystem would look like and using a scientifically informed and democratic regulatory process to preserve privacy rights.