Thinking On Paper Why Democracy Needs Privacy | Carissa Véliz: AI Ethics, Books, Freedom
Oct 17, 2025
In this enlightening discussion, Carissa Véliz, an Oxford AI ethics professor and author of "Privacy Is Power," explores the critical intersection of privacy and democracy. She argues that as we trade privacy for convenience, we risk eroding democratic institutions. Carissa highlights the troubling collaboration between Big Tech and government surveillance and stresses the importance of reclaiming autonomy through civic engagement. Plus, she offers practical tools for protecting privacy in an increasingly digital world.
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Privacy Is Control, Right, And Duty
- Privacy is threefold: control of information, a human right, and a civic duty that protects others.
- When individuals fail to protect privacy they also weaken society and democracy.
Everyday Data Reveals Deep Secrets
- Location and behavioral data reveal intimate details like who you live with and where you seek help.
- Companies infer sensitive traits (politics, sexuality) from banal signals like music taste.
Digital Surveillance Accelerates Democratic Decline
- Democracy is eroding globally and the quality of democratic governance is declining.
- Digital surveillance accelerates democratic erosion and makes historic resistance methods ineffective.
