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ISSUES: Privacy
Assignments
Assignments
Brainstorming
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In small groups, discuss what you know about privacy,
in the UK and abroad.
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What is the ‘right to privacy’?
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What is CCTV?
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What is The Snooper’s Charter?
Research
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Look up the Human Convention, article 8 Right to
Privacy. Find out what the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (1948) says about the right to privacy.
Can you think of any situations in your own experience
where this right has not been observed? You might
find Right to a private and family life useful. Discuss in
pairs.
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Using a map, create an illustrated diagram comparing
and contrasting different worldviews on privacy – what
might be law in Great Britain, might be completely
different in somewhere like China. See The invention
of privacy for further information.
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Research surveillance drones: are they an invasion
of privacy or a useful tool for law enforcement and
research? Debate this in pairs and feedback to the rest
of your class.
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Choose a partner. Using the Internet, research your
partner from the perspective of someone who doesn’t
already know them and note down what you find out
about them. You could try typing their name into a
search engine and having a look at social media sites
such as Facebook or Twitter. How much information
have you found? Do you think your partner takes
enough care with their online safety? Give them some
feedback.
Design
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Choose one of the articles from this book and create an
illustration that highlights the key themes of the piece.
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Design a series of posters and web-banners that will
advertise Data Privacy Day.
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Design an infographic that demonstrates the key
aspects of ‘Freedom of Information’.
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Design a piece of wearable technology that a firm
could use to track their employees actions. Think
about what kind of things employers would want to
keep an eye on, e.g. use of work email, amount of time
away from desk or Internet use.
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Design a leaflet that explains how to delete yourself
and your searches from Google’s history.
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Imagine that you work for a group of local volunteers
who are campaigning to increase the amount of CCTV
in your town. Create a series of posters that could
be displayed at bus-stops to raise awareness of your
cause.
Oral
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Create a PowerPoint presentation, arguing that smart
technology such as Smart TVs are a dangerous step
towards invasion of privacy. Share with your class.
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In small groups, think about what you would tell
someone who has just started using the Internet
about how they should guard their privacy. Make a
bullet point list and share with the rest of your class.
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As a class, stage a debate in which one half of you
argues that the Snooper’s Charter is a necessary
and beneficial piece of legislation and the other half
argues that it is a breach of people’s right to privacy.
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In pairs, discuss how you feel about CCTV surveillance.
Is it a good thing? Or an invasion of privacy?
Reading/writing
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Write a short story about what the future would be
like if a government who abused technology such as
CCTV, ID cards and the DNA database came to power.
How might they use these things to control citizens?
What would life be like for people living in this future
society? Your story should be at least 700 words.
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Write a blog post from the point of view of the Austrian
teenager who sued their parents for posting pictures
of them on Facebook (see page 38).
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Read the article
Online and out there: how children
view privacy differently from adults
and write an article
exploring your own opinion on the matter.
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Write a one paragraph definition of the following:
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Privacy
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Surveillance
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The Internet of Things.
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Imagine that your head teacher has decided to start
using surveillance drones to keep an eye on what
students are doing. Write a letter explaining why you
think this would be a gross breach of students’ privacy.
