On Privacy

A short, powerful book with twenty lessons on privacy in the information age, each with practical advice on what you can do right now to protect yourself Living today means most of us must contend with things like workplace surveillance, cyberstalking, ransomware attacks, and facial recognition. But all is not lost when it comes to our privacy, and it is definitely not too late to do something about protecting yours. Written in blunt jargon-free prose, On Privacy defines today’s privacy landscape while also reminding readers of the joys of keeping things to ourselves—that privacy creates space for intimacy, is essential to mental health, and is a fundamental right in a free society. Explored among the book's 20 brief-but-powerful lessons are concepts like the Nothing-to-Hide Trap, how we become prisoners of our recorded past, and the ways that small data points about us can paint big revealing pictures. Also included are explanations of how Big Brother is in fact real, why we should insist on privacy by design, and how to make ensuring privacy something that is profitable. Each lesson ends with advice on both how to talk about a given aspect of privacy and how to take actionable steps to safeguard yourself.  On Privacy is small book with a big message about why privacy matters, who profits by invading it, and how best to defend yours in easy, everyday ways.