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Americans' opinions on privacy and information sharing. Many Americans say they might provide personal information, depending on the deal being offered and how much risk they face Most Americans see privacy issues in commercial settings as contingent and context-dependent. A new Pew Research Center study based on a survey of 461 U.S. adults and nine online focus groups of 80 people finds that there are a variety of circumstances under which many Americans would share personal information or permit surveillance in return for getting something of perceived value.

For instance, a majority of Americans think it would be acceptable (by a 54% to 24% margin) for employers to install monitoring cameras following a series of workplace thefts. Nearly half (47%) say the basic bargain offered by retail loyalty cards – namely, that stores track their purchases in exchange for occasional discounts – is acceptable to them, even as a third (32%) call it unacceptable.

The nearby chart runs down the six different scenarios that were examined in this study. The state of privacy in America. After the June 2013 leaks by government contractor Edward Snowden about National Security Agency surveillance of Americans’ online and phone communications, Pew Research Center began an in-depth exploration of people’s views and behaviors related to privacy. Our report earlier this year about how Americans think about privacy and sharing personal information was a capstone of this two-and-a-half-year effort that examined how people viewed not only government surveillance but also commercial transactions involving the capture of personal information.

Soon after the Snowden leaks surfaced, Americans were almost equally divided in a 2014 survey over whether the leaks had served or harmed the public interest. And, at that time, a majority of Americans believed Snowden should be prosecuted. (A campaign, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, has since been organized to seek a pardon for him.)

At the same time, many express a desire to take additional steps to protect their data online. IF Hotspot - Post Midwinter Musings - Intellectual Freedom Blog. By Jamie LaRue Two days on the job, followed by 6 days at midwinter, marked my introduction to the Office for Intellectual Freedom. I’m definitely in learning mode. As a long time public library director, I was familiar with many of the challenges in that realm. But my main takeaway from midwinter conversations with my colleagues is that today’s intellectual freedom hot spot is clearly our public schools. There seem to be three factors at work: 1. 2. 3. It is ironic that on the one hand, we have school authorities saying that students need to develop critical thinking skills, while at the same time depriving them of the resources and rights through which such thinking is developed.

I was also intrigued by talk about “mature minds” — the recognition that not every “child” is the same. In the months to come I’ll be looking for ways to direct OIF resources to try to highlight these concerns, and encourage greater respect for the minds and voices of our next generation. California Library Creates Online Privacy Tool. The internet doesn’t have to be scary. That’s the message from Erin Berman, innovations manager at San José (Calif.) Public Library (SJPL), and Jon Worona, division manager for technology and innovation at SJPL. American Libraries invited Berman and Worona to discuss the library’s new Virtual Privacy Lab, an interactive site that teaches people about online privacy. Created in partnership with the Teaching Privacy team at the Berkeley, California–based nonprofit International Computer Science Institute and with $35,000 from the Knight Foundation, the lab helps users of all ages become more “privacy literate” using a gaming concept.

Some libraries, such as Denver Public Library, have linked to the Virtual Privacy Lab to help patrons learn more about internet security. Most people are unaware of the digital trail they leave behind, how the information is being used, and how to control what is shared on the internet. With a prototype grant from the John S. and James L. Intellectual Freedom email lists | Offices of the American Library Association. The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest library association in the world, providing association information, news, events, and advocacy resources for members, librarians, and library users. Founded on October 6, 1876 during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the mission of ALA is to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

Key Action Areas In 1998 the ALA Council voted commitment to five Key Action Areas as guiding principles for directing the Association’s energies and resources: Diversity, Equity of Access, Education and Continuous Learning, Intellectual Freedom, and 21st Century Literacy. Intellectual Freedom Intellectual freedom is a basic right in a democratic society and a core value of the library profession. Strategic Plan Governance ALA Council is the governing body of ALA. ACLU to Privacy Advocates: #TakeCTRL of Your Statehouses Now | American Libraries Magazine.

Nearly everyone, including most members of Congress and certainly most librarians, can agree that an individual’s electronic records—everything from old emails, texts, and tweets to Facebook messages, search queries, and files stored in the cloud—should be no less protected from unwarranted search and seizure than if they existed in printed form.

That’s not what the applicable federal law—the long-outdated 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA)—says, however. Rather, once your electronic records are more than six months old, the authorities don’t actually have to get a judge-issued search warrant to compel your phone company or internet service provider, for example, to hand them over. Despite a growing number of lawmakers (including more than 70% of all House members) calling for reform, H.R. 699 has only just been scheduled for consideration next month by the House Judiciary Committee—and there’s reason to believe that opponents will try hard to weaken it. These Public Comments Saved a Library’s Tor Server From a Government Shutdown.

Libraries, Digital Privacy, & Data Literacy | TA3M NYC June 2015.