Stephen Downes

How often have you heard, "this must be confidential, so people can speak freely?" When I served on boards, my response would be, "this is just so you can lie in public." The case for privacy and confidentiality isn't so clear as it's made out to be (and for those of you who think we all share 'common ethical values', read this). "Privacy is an inherently exclusionary liberal entitlement inextricably linked to property, racial oppression, sexual control and class segregation," the authors write. "Privacy is anathema to social justice because it reinforces marginalization and skews protection towards property-holding insiders." Moreover, "there is no actual possibility of privacy, nor any real corporate incentive to privacy, except as an optic tactic to avoid accountability." 22 page PDF. Image: Reddit.