Civil Liberties and Security in Cyberspace - Hoover Institution
Civil Liberties and Security in Cyberspace - Hoover Institution
Civil Liberties and Security in Cyberspace - Hoover Institution
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<strong>Hoover</strong> Press : Cyber DP5 HPCYBE0500 06-11-:1 11:53:04 rev1 page 192<br />
192 Ekater<strong>in</strong>a A. Drozdova<br />
are recommendations, the EU Directives are b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g: member states<br />
must adopt them <strong>in</strong>to their domestic law.<br />
Currently, nearly fifty countries <strong>and</strong> jurisdictions have enacted or<br />
are <strong>in</strong> the process of enact<strong>in</strong>g privacy laws, designed to ensure compatibility<br />
with <strong>in</strong>ternational st<strong>and</strong>ards, to address past government<br />
abuses, <strong>and</strong>/or to promote electronic commerce. 17<br />
Threats to Privacy <strong>in</strong> <strong>Cyberspace</strong><br />
Privacy <strong>in</strong> cyberspace is threatened by bus<strong>in</strong>esses <strong>and</strong> other entities<br />
that collect <strong>and</strong> manipulate personal data, by crim<strong>in</strong>als who steal such<br />
data or stalk people over the Internet, <strong>and</strong> by governments that pursue<br />
surveillance or allow <strong>in</strong>trusive law enforcement practices. Sophisticated<br />
electronic capabilities to collect, analyze, manipulate, <strong>and</strong> dissem<strong>in</strong>ate<br />
<strong>in</strong>formation, as well as to enable track<strong>in</strong>g, surveillance, <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>terference with communications, create unprecedented challenges to<br />
privacy. Such technologies are becom<strong>in</strong>g more effective, available, <strong>and</strong><br />
affordable <strong>in</strong>ternationally. At the same time, globalization <strong>and</strong> grow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
dependence on <strong>in</strong>formation technology <strong>in</strong> all spheres of society<br />
have led to a dramatic <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> the level of electronically compiled<br />
<strong>and</strong> transmitted personal data. The differences <strong>in</strong> domestic legal st<strong>and</strong>ards<br />
<strong>and</strong> practices also endanger private data transmitted over <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
networks. Even if one state has robust privacy laws, it cannot<br />
currently guarantee equivalent levels of protection once the data flow<br />
beyond its borders. Gaps <strong>in</strong> protection will be created to the extent<br />
that market forces undervalue privacy, laws <strong>and</strong> law enforcement fail<br />
to keep up with technological capabilities, <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational discrepancies<br />
underm<strong>in</strong>e domestic levels of protection.<br />
17. Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Privacy Survey (1999), p. v. For<br />
specific <strong>in</strong>formation on laws <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>struments for the protection of privacy <strong>and</strong> personal<br />
data <strong>in</strong> various countries, see “Inventory of Instruments <strong>and</strong> Mechanisms Contribut<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to the Implementation <strong>and</strong> Enforcement of the OECD Privacy Guidel<strong>in</strong>es<br />
on Global Networks,” OECD, DSTI/ICCP/REG(98)12/FINAL; <strong>and</strong> “Excerpts on<br />
Privacy from U.S. State Department Human Rights Guides,” prepared by Global<br />
Internet Liberty Campaign, available at http://www.gilc.org/privacy/.