QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

   CH_1

1. What factors explain the growing importance of access to information and protection of privacy concerns?
2. What is the relationship between FOI and democracy?
3. What is the relationship between privacy and personal autonomy?
4. How do FOI and privacy conflict? Which is most important?
5. Outline the four types of transparency and explain how they can promote and detract from building a good and just society.
6. Outline the four components of privacy and explain how they relate to personal autonomy.
7. How can the diffusion of information privilege particular groups?
8. How does the relationship between access and privacy reflect the values of a given community?

   CH_2

1. Explain the differences between privacy, confidentiality, and secrecy.
2. How does information privacy differ from other forms of privacy?
3. What factors are leading to heightened concern over privacy?
4. How are attitudes toward privacy shaped by culture, ideology, and epoch?
5. Explain how various groups in society are differentially affected by threats to privacy.
6. What are the problems surrounding “free choice” and “consent” with respect to privacy protection?

   CH_3

1. What are the two components that underpin the right to freedom of information? Explain why citizens have this right.
2. How is FOI related to the concept of legitimacy in both the public and private sectors?
3. Why are FOI regimes particularly important to newly emerging democracies and what are some of the challenges associated with their implementation?
4. What are some of the challenges associated with implementing FOI regimes in established democracies?
5. How can these challenges be addressed?
6. Explain the instances where transparency can justifiably be trumped by privacy.

   CH_4

1. Why is health information considered to be particularly sensitive?
2. What is an electronic health record? What are the benefits and problems associated with its use?
3. How do attitudes toward particular medical issues vary by society and over time? How do these attitudes affect the sharing of medical data?
4. Explain what is meant by the secondary use of information.
5. In what circumstances should the public benefit of sharing medical information override the privacy interest of the individual?
6. Are there instances when genetic profiling is justified?

   CH_5

1. Explain the difference between panopticon and synopticon. Which will prevail as the dominant form of surveillance in years to come?
2. What are the benefits and costs of the mass diffusion of video technologies with respect to surveillance? Are the costs worth the benefits?
3. Explain why the lines are blurring between surveillance for private and public benefit. Which will prevail as the dominant form of surveillance in years to come?
4. In what circumstances should the public benefit of surveillance override the privacy interests of the individual?
5. How have new surveillance technologies changed the nature of transparency and accountability in the public and private sectors?
6. How and why is surveillance experienced differently by different groups of people?

   CH_6

1. How have peer-to-peer communications changed both the way we communicate and how we relate to one another and to institutions?
2. How does this form of communication both enhance and diminish personal autonomy?
3. Do the benefits of peer-to-peer communication outweigh the disadvantages?
4. The “commodification” of personality refers to the collection of personal information to build a digital profile that can be bought or sold. Explain the various ways this commodity can be used to the advantage of the individual from whom the information derives, those who have access to that information, and those who control it.
5. To what extent should governments regulate the collection, storage, retention, and posting of information collected from social networking sites? In other words, should people in a virtual public space be protected from their own ignorance and/or imprudence?
6. Should governments have the ability to limit the actions of social networking sites that the state determines are harmful to society? Put another way, in what circumstances should the public benefit of regulating social media override the private interest of a deregulated environment?

   CH_7

1. Explain how ICTs have influenced communication, service provision, trade, and security.
2. How can the management of ICTs change the nature of the relationship between citizens and government?
3. How can the management of ICTs change the relationship between the citizen-consumer and others in society with either complementary or competing interests?
4. Does the loss of privacy ensure transparency and vice versa? Explain why this is or is not the case.
5. How does the management of ICTs define societal relationships, and in particular, define the role of the individual(s) within a community?