Woodrow Hartzog's "Privacy's Blueprint: The Battle to Control the Design of New Technologies"

Woodrow Hartzog is an influential and prominent writer, particularly for his "Privacy's Blueprint: the battle to control the design of new technologies." His book is vital, particularly in the current world, with increased PbD, "privacy by design" ideas. Currently, individuals using the internet often interact with technological platforms designed in such a manner that guarding personal information becomes difficult (Halpern 2018, pg. 280). This includes surveillance technologies and social media platforms, among others. Hartzog argues that developers of hardware and software should design their products to respect the user’s privacy. The author provides that the present legal policies perceive technology as value-neutral. Individuals using it can choose whether its functions are hostile or virtuous, which should not be the case. Hartzog further reveals that popular technological tools are developed to manipulate and expose users to disclose their personal data. Hartzog, therefore, argues that the current use of regulating forces promotes exploitations. In this case, the purpose of "privacy blueprint" is based on correcting the situation by developing theoretical foundations regarding newer forms of privacy policies that respond to means by which individuals use and perceive digital technological platforms (Schreiber, 2020, pg. 262). The privacy policies can hinder spiteful interfaces, deceptions that leave users vulnerable; they safeguard users against biometric surveillance abuses. This can only be achieved if the law advocates for encryption, which further makes users more willing to use technology by perceiving it as trustworthy. This paper examines in depth Hartzogs frameworks and implementation of Blueprint to eliminate privacy law failures. Being a professor of computer science and law, the author provides extensive information on how privacy law influences the addressing multifaceted technological designs insinuations. Towards the end of the book, Hartzog provides how his suggested framework can be incorporated. For instance, the implementation of interactive privacy as solutions for inexplicable privacy policies.

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Hartzog recommends a co-regulatory and soft framework (privacy’s Blueprint) in solving the design associated problems. In this case, the framework aims to alleviate privacy law failures by issuing guidelines, boundary settings, and articulation of goals. The Blueprint's primary focus is on privacy law's roles in duly addressing and identifying problems resulting from technological designs. This is evident in the book, "privacy law is deficient…ignores design” (Schreiber, 2020, pg.5). The blueprints set toolkits, boundaries, and values are also discussed. In this case, Hartzog argues that even though trust is required between businesses and consumer relationships in securing individuals' information, obscurity is essential in the event such relationships are broken.

Furthermore, “Hide and seek technologies," as described by Hartzog, refers to various digital tools that can be grouped into two conflicting sections with regard to transaction costs. The book provides that even though drones, browsers, and search engines have increased likelihoods of reducing search costs; spyware, deletion tools, and encryption does the opposite, which means they increase the search costs. Here, Hartzog focuses on "hiding technologies" protection and advocating for seeking technologies that are less efficient appear to be prioritizing obscurity (Schreiber, 2020, pg. 262). Similarly, in chapter 7, the author provides that even though the government has accurate reasons for preserving the information gathered via consumer technologies, more should be done to ensure their claims are based on strengthening people’s privacy. Organizations should also implement strategies with which to eliminate potential risks on others. This includes checking for leaks to protect a company’s’ reputation and saving on repairing such leaks. The book is also based on the argument that realities on how consumer technologies perform should correspond with the user’s psychological model. This entails data on how, when, and which technologies are gathering data (Schreiber, 2020, pg. 260). Therefore, lawmakers and industries should identify and examine various signals sent to internet users and individuals affected by such technologies. The author also encourages users to understand and identify low effort and clear signals. This is because, from research, most individuals provided failures in recognizing webcam lights, among other signals.

Generally, the privacy laws policies regarding seek and hide technologies involve supporting designs that increase, delete, and protect transaction costs in collecting data. Companies, in this case, should regularly check for data leaks and obscurity lurches (Halpern 2018, pg. 280). Such technologies also guarantee that internet users have increased knowledge of how technologies work and how they conform to the set goals. Most importantly, Hartzog provides that "hide and seek technologies" are incredible sources only when an individuals' autonomy, obscurity, and trust are not undermined.

Similarly, Blueprint can also be incorporated in IoT, “internet of things, “which is ranked among the most highly advanced technologies looking into an individual’s public and private life. Here, Hartzog provides a distinction between innovative “things” and computers with regard to their security’s' susceptibility. In this case, when technological firms become focused on "wiring up" everything surrounding an individuals' life, "hidden…dispersed risks" (Schreiber, 2020 pg. 262), as Hartzog warns, become visionary. Hartzog also advocates for reporting and identifying bugs and vulnerabilities, including eliminating DRM," digital rights movement, “that increases security issues for IoT. From the book, DRM is also insecure, and policies protecting it deters enhanced security research.

Upon evaluating the Hartzogs book “Privacy’s Blueprint," it is right to say that privacy policies' implementation would play an essential role in safeguarding an individual’s personal information on social media platforms. This further increases the levels of internet users' trust in technology, allowing them to carry on their everyday operations with no hesitations (Schreiber, 2020, pg. 253). Hartzog frames his theories in supporting the association between PbD and Blueprint. In this case, the author argues that the Blueprint is narrower compared to PbD since it does not concern other organizational design features. In his book, Hartzog also discusses in depth the relationship between law, design, and privacy. His statement, "taking design…seriously" (Schreiber, 2020 pg.272), reveals that policymakers and legislators alike should consist of enhanced addressed design verdicts, which can be achieved through guidance and recognition.

References

https://issuu.com/nadirchine/docs/privacys-blueprint

Fuster, G. G. (2019). Privacy's Blueprint: The Battle to Control the Design of New Technologies. Retrieve from: https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/edpl5&section=45

Halpern, S. (2018). Privacy's Blueprint: The Battle to Control the Design of New Technologies. Retrieve from: https://www.amazon.com/Privacys-Blueprint-Battle-Control-Technologies/dp/0674976002

Schreiber, A. (2020). Privacy's Blueprint: The Battle to Control the Design of New Technologies. By Woodrow Hartzog. [Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2018. x+ 366 pp. Hardback£ 28.95. ISBN 978-06-74976-00-9.]. The Cambridge Law Journal, 79(2), 377-380.Retrieve from: https://www.amazon.com/Privacys-Blueprint-Battle-Control-Technologies/dp/0674976002