The federal government is responding by passing such laws as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which requires health care organizations to protect the confidentiality of patient information. But while discussions continue about the role of the federal government in protecting privacy, the importance of building choice into IT has emerged as an equally important issue, Reeder says. As people want more convenience and are willing to accept greater levels of intrusion to get that convenience, we have to be able to let them choose that. That target will continue to move, says Jones. Technoliteracy will be a social requirement, not a job skill.
Teens use SMS to stay in constant touch with their peers.
I just unplug it or turn the cam away if I need privacy. Video monitoring is already so common as to be unremarkable, Jones says. We resist the picture of society George Orwell painted in 1984, but there was not a huge hue and cry when cameras were mounted at stoplights. Individuals have a history of giving up some rights to privacy in exchange for the benefits of being part of a society. Researchers in London's Underground public transit system are saving lives by using video cameras and behavioral indicators to identify potential suicides, Jones says.