Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: Privacy is Power

Over the past year, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons has become one of my favorite weekly tech podcasts. It’s timely and accessible. I recently joined its host, Carey Parker, and privacy engineering pioneer Michelle Dennedy for a discussion on developments in privacy.

Because of my experience as a communications advisor, guiding companies to make decisions about data practices that will provide sustained dividends for their reputation across stakeholders, I strongly agree with Carissa Véliz’s framework that Privacy is Power because of the critical role power dynamics play in human relationships, which are the very foundation of communication.

As I note in the podcast, “when you respect somebody, you give them the opportunity to tell you how they feel, to tell you how they want things done. Think about the relationships you have in your personal life with friends, family, people you respect the most. You would not pull sh*t behind their back like this…”

“When I think about privacy as power, when I [as a consumer] feel hopeless, when I feel scared, when I’m frightened, when I’m overwhelmed, it is because I have lost some kind of power. And in order for some organization whether it be a company or government, to earn my trust, they need to return that power so that I feel safe.”

This is what trust means. This is what trust requires.

Listen to the episode with Michelle and me here: https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2021/10/11/privacy-dynamic-duo/

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