DC ACM Fall Lecture Series

The New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative hosted The Washington DC Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery Fall Lecture series for 2009.

Established in 1947, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is an educational and scientific society uniting the world’s computing educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field’s challenges. ACM strengthens the profession’s collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking. Currently there are more than 2,200 ACM members in the Washington Metropolitan Area.


The third and final lecture in the fall series, “Understanding Privacy” featured Daniel Solove. Privacy is one of the most important concepts of our time, yet it is also one of the most elusive. As rapidly changing technology makes information more and more available, scholars, activists, and policymakers have struggled to define privacy, with many conceding that the task is virtually impossible. Yet “privacy policies” play an essential role in determining the technical requirements of databases, website infrastructure development, and other aspects of software engineering.

Daniel discussed his latest book, Understanding Privacy, and offered a comprehensive overview of the difficulties involved in discussions of privacy. He agued that no single definition can be workable, but rather that there are multiple forms of privacy, related to one another by family resemblances. Presentation bridged cultural differences and addresses historical changes in views on privacy.

Daniel J. Solove is a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School.

He is the author of Understanding Privacy (Harvard University Press 2008), The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor, and Privacy on the Internet (Yale University Press 2007), The Digital Person: Technology and Privacy in the Information Age (NYU Press 2004) and Information Privacy Law (Aspen Publishing, 3rd ed. 2009), among other titles. His book, The Future of Reputation, won the 2007 McGannon Award.

An internationally known expert in privacy law, Solove has been interviewed and quoted by the media in several hundred articles and broadcasts, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, the Associated Press, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and NPR.

He has consulted in high-profile privacy law cases, contributed to amicus briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court, and testified before Congress. He serves on the advisory boards of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Future of Privacy Forum, and the Law and Humanities Institute.

Participants
Featured Speaker
Daniel J. Solove
Author, Understanding Privacy