Controlling Knowledge
Controlling Knowledge
Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection in a Networked World
In Controlling Knowledge, Lorna Stefanick offers aprovocative inquiry into the regulatory regime that governs freedom ofinformation and the protection of privacy (FOIP). The application ofFOIP laws requires a balancing act between two potentially competinggoals — the desire to provide citizens with access to theinformation they need in order to hold others accountable and thedesire to safeguard an individual’s right to privacy and protectsensitive information from abuse. To illustrate the impact of FOIP,Stefanick examines the secondary uses of medical data, looks at theforms of surveillance that the digital age has enabled, and exploresthe power and perils of Facebook and the Internet.
Intended to serve as a “citizen’s guide,” andwritten in refreshingly down-to-earth language, ControllingKnowledge is a vital resource for anyone seeking to understand theconcepts and issues that drive FOIP legislation and how these laws areshaping our individual rights as citizens of the information age.
Preface and Acknowledgements ... ix
1. An Introduction to Freedom of Information and PrivacyProtection ... 1
Accessing and Protecting Electronic Data ... 1
Accountability and Autonomy ... 5
Unpacking the Concepts ... 8
Transparency, Privacy, and Good Governance ... 13
Overview of the Book ... 23
2. Privacy Protection ... 29
The Many Dimensions of Privacy ... 29
The March Toward Regulation ... 37
Data Flow, the Thirst for Information, and the Problems of
Privacy Protection ... 46
Privacy Protection, Personal Autonomy, and Control ... 59
3. Freedom of Information (FOI) ... 63
Transparency for the Public Good ... 63
The March Toward Regulation ... 71
Administrative Practice: Challenges to the Culture of Openness ... 79
Information Access, Equity, and Fairness ... 93
4.Sharing Medical Information: Antidote or Bitter Pill? ... 97
The Special Case of Health Information ... 97
Electronic Health Records ... 99
Privacy and Confidentiality ... 103
Secondary Uses of Medical Information ... 111
Managing Health Information ... 122
5. Surveillance in the Digital Age ... 125
Surveillance as a Form of Social Control ... 125
Modern Forms of Watching ... 128
Whither Watching? ... 155
6. Social Networking: The Case of Facebook ... 157
The Creation of Online Personalities ... 157
The Power and Perils of Virtual Communities ... 162
Digital Identities, the Commodification of Personality, and theBacklash ... 172
The Future of Facebook ... 182
7. Balancing Freedom of Information and the Protection ofPrivacy ... 187
Questions for Discussion ... 197
Notes ... 205
Selected Bibliography ... 231
Index ... 243
