A critical approach to privacy research in ubiquitous environments - Issues and underlying assumptions

Abstract

This paper explores the different aspects of ubiquitous environments with regard to the protection of individuals' private life. A critical review of the relative research reveals two major trends. First, that there is a shift in the perception of privacy protection, which is increasingly considered as a responsibility of the individual, instead of an individual right protected by a central authority, such as a state and its laws. Second, it appears that current IT research is largely based on the assumption that personal privacy is quantifiable and bargainable. This paper discusses the impact of these trends and underlines the issues and challenges that emerge. The paper stresses that, for the time being, IT research approaches privacy in ubiquitous environments without taking into account the different aspects and the basic principles of privacy. Finally the paper stresses the need for multidisciplinary research in the area, and the importance that IT research receives input from other related disciplines such as law and psychology. The aim of the paper is to contribute to the on-going discourse about the nature of privacy and its role in ubiquitous environments and provide insights for future research. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2007.