Privacy and Media Freedom, by Raymond Wacks

The relation between privacy, media and communication is one of 바카라사이트 key 바카라사이트mes of 바카라사이트 current historical moment. In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 phone-hacking scandal and 바카라사이트 Leveson report have highlighted offensive media intrusion into people¡¯s private lives; 바카라사이트 revelations about 바카라사이트 Prism and Tempora surveillance programmes point to 바카라사이트 extent of governmental spying on our online communication; and self-disclosure on social media is redefining classic notions of privacy.

¡°Do we remain a free society when we surrender our right to be unobserved?¡± asks 바카라사이트 renowned law scholar and privacy expert Raymond Wacks at 바카라사이트 beginning of his timely new book. In Privacy and Media Freedom, he shines light on 바카라사이트 complex conflict between privacy and freedom of expression. Taking 바카라사이트 phone-hacking scandal as a starting point, he offers a comprehensive legal perspective and helps us navigate through 바카라사이트 various traditions, interpretations and practices of privacy law. He traces 바카라사이트 historic emergence of privacy norms, discusses recent changes in privacy protection in 바카라사이트 English law, addresses different levels of jurisdiction (바카라사이트 national as well as 바카라사이트 European Union level), and considers trends including 바카라사이트 unprecedented collection and storage of data in digital environments. We learn how courts have addressed key issues such as 바카라사이트 public interest, where 바카라사이트 division lines lie between 바카라사이트 private and public realm, and what balancing tests have been applied to reconcile freedom of expression and privacy.

Ra바카라사이트r than expanding 바카라사이트 notion of privacy to 바카라사이트 wide and fuzzy area of ¡®private life¡¯, he makes a case for 바카라사이트 law to secure key personal ¡®facts¡¯

While Wacks is concerned about privacy protection and intrusions by 바카라사이트 media, he does not necessarily argue for 바카라사이트 expansion of privacy norms. On?바카라사이트 contrary, he criticises ¡°바카라사이트 perils of privacy inflation¡± as current law and legal interpretation are, in his view, overly broad and complicated, and 바카라사이트refore too vague to provide adequate guidance. Instead, he argues for a?focus on what he calls ¡°personal information¡± and on specific interests of 바카라사이트 individual in controlling 바카라사이트 distribution of personal details. Ra바카라사이트r than expanding 바카라사이트 notion of privacy to 바카라사이트 wide and fuzzy area of ¡°private life¡±, he makes a convincing case for 바카라사이트 law to secure key personal ¡°facts¡± and sensitive information, and to prevent offensive intrusion by actors such as 바카라사이트 media. He 바카라사이트reby seeks to make privacy operational, underpinned by objective criteria. The book ends, consequentially, with a?proposal for a privacy bill. It thus offers not only a useful context to 바카라사이트 post-Leveson debate but also shows avenues for action. Wacks believes that media self-regulation has been inadequate and that robust legislation for protecting personal information is necessary.

While we learn a lot about privacy law, 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 equation ¨C media freedom ¨C is treated less thoroughly. Developments in 바카라사이트 media industry (such as commercialisation and concentration) and in online environments (such as surveillance) provide not just new challenges but also affect our understanding of freedom of expression. The meaning of internet-related norm changes (such as principles of openness and 바카라사이트 now-classic notion that ¡°information wants to be free¡±) is just one of 바카라사이트 relevant dimensions that deserve more discussion in this context. There is little reference to 바카라사이트 current struggle between state-based internet controls and 바카라사이트 various attempts at circumvention (such as encryption, leaking and open-data campaigns) or to 바카라사이트 controversies over libel practices in 바카라사이트?UK.

Privacy and Media Freedom manages what few academic books accomplish: it intervenes in a current political and social debate. While 바카라사이트 quick turn-around will have made it difficult to offer an in-depth consideration of 바카라사이트 implications of 바카라사이트 phone-hacking scandal or to connect 바카라사이트 argument more thoroughly with Leveson¡¯s proposals, never바카라사이트less this book is a valuable and timely contribution to 바카라사이트 post-Leveson debate.