Philosophical Disquisitions
76 - Surveillance, Privacy and COVID-19
Apr 18, 2020
Carissa Véliz, Research Fellow at the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford, discusses the ethical questions raised by increased surveillance and tracking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include the value of privacy, consent, digital contact tracing, the data economy, immunity passports, and the importance of focusing on the right things in responding to COVID-19.
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Quick takeaways
- Privacy is valuable as it protects individuals from abuses of power and plays a significant role in safeguarding other rights and interests, including bodily integrity and autonomy.
- Privacy is often perceived as a trade-off against other values like security, but sacrificing privacy does not always guarantee greater security or public health benefits, highlighting the need for a critical examination of the justifiability and potential risks of increased surveillance and tracking measures.
Deep dives
The Importance of Privacy in Modern Life
Privacy is valuable as it protects individuals from abuses of power, both from individuals and institutions. It is also instrumentally important in safeguarding finances and accounts. Beyond the practical aspects, privacy is considered a good in itself, related to concepts like bodily integrity and autonomy. However, privacy rights are often perceived as a trade-off between other interests, such as public security. It is crucial to recognize that privacy plays a significant role in safeguarding other rights and should not be undermined in the name of other values.
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