Privacy in a Digital World

“I have as much privacy as a goldfish in a bowl.” – Princess Margaret

We all have the right to privacy. However, more and more we find that the digital world is impacting on this right and it is often due to unawareness on our part or a lack of concern. Many engage in online communities and openly share their private world on a global scale. Even our thoughts and opinions are laid bare to the public through blogging and other Web 2.0 tools. Are we creating our own “fishbowls”? Has it become the societal norm to no longer have privacy? What can educators do to ensure that they guard their own privacy and teach students to do the same?

One area in which privacy can be threatened is in the school library. Helen Adams’s, “The Ebb and Flow of Library Privacy”, outlined legislature affecting students’ rights to confidentiality of their school library records in four states. She concluded that “the majority lack understanding of or support for privacy rights for minors using library media centers.” (Adams, 2008) In Canada, students’ privacy rights in public schools are protected by the Privacy Act. However, there is no formal documentation that specifies protection of library usage records. “Library users’ rights to privacy and the need to respect the confidentiality of library use and records are indivisible. Privacy cannot be protected unless records and inquiries for resources are treated as confidential information.” (Riehl, 2007) It is imperative that students are able to trust that their reading choices are kept confidential. This may mean re-examining current school library policies to ensure that student privacy is respected. Riehl provides thought-provoking questions about policy, practices and procedures, advocacy and training, technology, and balancing intellectual freedoms and social responsibilities in her article, “Students’ Privacy Rights in School Libraries: Balancing Principles, Ethics and Practices.” Evaluating our school library using these questions, immediately highlighted areas that need to be addressed including current procedure for notifying students about overdue books. I also question now how library records are stored and who sees them when using our online library program.

Student privacy is also jeopardized by their online activities. Personal information is often shared through social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Yet, social networking sites are not alone in the invasion of student privacy. Even something as simple as a Google search results in information being shared unintentionally. Exploring a few Google videos about privacy on YouTube revealed what and why information is collected each time anyone enters a search query. These videos made me aware of privacy issues which I had not even known to question. Cookies, logs, search histories were all words that I had heard but not realized how they impacted on privacy. The videos also explained that personal information was not collected or shared with outside agencies and it further went on to explain how to disable some features to allow for more private searches. Educators need to be aware that ensuring students read and understand privacy policies is not enough anymore. Teaching about the many ways that information is gathered and shared online is necessary, as well as how students can minimize infringement on their privacy rights. Unfortunately, “while many young people recognize the risks associated with their online activities, they lack the knowledge and the tools to mitigate those risks.” (Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2008) Students need to be taught to think critically before sharing any information online. They need to question who might see this information and how it can be used either positively or negatively, now and in years to come – their digital footprint. Integrating this within the ICT outcomes is a beginning but it needs to be taught by all educators considering the use of technology throughout all aspects of the curriculum. Social responsibility is one subject in which this information can be explored as students recognize the importance of being digital citizens and maintaining a high level of safety for themselves and others. Privacy policies can be examined in Language Arts classes and a discussion about the seven resolutions outlined in “Children’s Online Privacy: Resolution of Canada’s Privacy Commissioners and Privacy Oversight Officials” could occur as well.

Students and educators who share their thoughts and ideas on blogs and wikis also need to be cognizant of the impacts that these practices may have on their privacy. Unlike Princess Margaret whose loss of privacy was due to her royal blood, we have a choice about what we share online. Some people prefer to be completely open, while others are more guarded. Within the school setting, class blogs and wikis that are private will alleviate concerns but result in a loss of the global aspect of Web 2.0 tools. It is much more important then to be aware of and abide by the suggestions of Doug Johnson in his post “Lighting Lamps.” His sage advice, while intended for educators, bodes well for our students also. Sharing this with students and exploring bloggers who model this advice by displaying professionalism can lead to the development of student’s own suggestions when writing publicly on the internet.

Teacher-librarians can lead the way in teaching awareness about privacy concerns and tools with which to protect ourselves. The school library should be an environment that clearly respects student privacy. As more opportunities arise in the digital world for students and educators to share their personal lives through social networking sites, blogs, and wikis, we need to ensure that our right to privacy remains intact. Otherwise we may end up, as Clay Shirky states in the video “Facebook Killed the Private Life”, robbing “young people of something they won’t even know they are missing.”


References:

Adams, Helen R. “The Ebb and Flow of Library Privacy.” School Library Media Activities Monthly. June 2008; Vol. 24, No.10; ProQuest Education Journals pg. 31.

Google Privacy: A Look at Cookies - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfZLztx8cKI

Google Search Privacy: Personalized Search - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsUBnPRtTbI

Google Search Privacy: Plain and Simple - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLgJYBRzUXY


Johnson, Doug. “Lighting Lamps.” Learning & Leading with Technology. June/July 2008.
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. “Children’s Online Privacy: Resolution of Canada’s Privacy Commissioners and Privacy Oversight Officials.” June 2008. http://www.privcom.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2008/res_080604_e.asp

Riehl, Donna. “Students’ Privacy Rights in School Libraries: Balancing Principles, Ethics and Practices.” School Libraries in Canada. 2007. http://www.cla.ca/casl/slic/262studentsprivacyrights.html

Shirky, Clay. “Facebook Killed the Private Life.” November 2007. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azIW1xjSTCo

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/