Thanks to Netgalley, the author Firmin Debrabander, and Cambridge University Press for the advanced review copy. Life After Privacy is expected September 8th 2020.


This is absolutely and important and topical argument in today’s hyper connected world. We should all be talking about this subject more. At 200 pages, the book isn’t huge, but it does have some fancy writing, talking about panopticons and political notions of the "public space." Perhaps it may be a bit much for some.

The argument that “nothing less than personhood is at stake” when privacy is violated holds significant weight, but as the author repeats often, too many act as if this is inconsequential.

The grim thought that we may face a society that expects perfection and without it would cast off those members. Recent events that unfolded in Minnesota with the U.S. Government using an unmanned drone to several protesters bears out some of this. The power to watch in the hands of govt. is some we should expect will be used. Clearly “individual citizens and consumers seem especially ill equipped to muster much of a defense against the forces of surveillance.”

Privacy, of course, could not be interrogated well if we didn't look at the self. What makes a person autonomous, thinking and then that thinking private (and of some use, for, say voting). The privacy of our thoughts my well be the very last thing we could lose. This book seems to think this is valid, but all very inward-looking.

The central ideas in this book might be a surprise to you (it was to me). I'm not sure I agreed with it to begin with, but it's growing on me. One thing is for sure, we need a new way of looking at privacy and surveillance in this digital era.

#LifeafterPrivacy #NetGalley #Privacy #Internet