EconTalk Let Me Be Forgotten (with Lowry Pressly)
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Aug 4, 2025 
Lowry Pressly, a writer and teacher at Stanford University, dives into the liberating concept of 'the right to oblivion.' He challenges the modern obsession with constant surveillance and data collection, arguing for the value of spontaneity and privacy. The conversation touches on how photography intersects with personal privacy and raises ethical questions about consent. Pressly also discusses the delicate balance between accountability and the human need to forget, emphasizing that embracing oblivion can foster personal growth and deeper human connections.
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Quantification Freezes Experience
- Quantifying human experiences freezes them and misses their fluid, potential nature.
- Human feelings and relationships resist precise measurement and require acknowledgment of ambiguity.
Svensson's Controversial Window Photos
- Artist Ernest Svensson photographed neighbors through their windows, raising privacy concerns despite artistic intent.
- Courts acknowledged new tech challenges privacy but ruled in favor of artistic expression.
Privacy Benefits Both Parties
- Privacy benefits both the individual and the observer by preserving ambiguity and spontaneity in interactions.
- Being recorded changes behavior because people become self-conscious and less spontaneous.
