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The Viking village of Berk, a small town in the fictional world of the animated film How to Train Your Dragon, is frequently the target of attacks by—gasp—dragons! The son of the Viking chief, a young boy named Hiccup, is seen by his father and others as unfit to fight against the onslaught of winged menaces who snatch away valuable livestock and destroy property in their town. To make up for his lack of physical strength and fighting prowess, Hiccup tinkers with gizmos and g

A modern art exhibit may not seem like the most accessible venue for raising privacy awareness, but when our most popular tech retail stores resemble museums, artists see opportunities too rich to ignore. The Glass Room, a new interactive exhibit in the SoHo district of New York City, is an excellent example of art imitating life and subverting expectations to make a political statement about privacy. From the exhibit’s website: “The “products” on display have the power to il

Like other human rights, the viability of our right to privacy is always subject to the current legal, political, and media weather. There are seasons more fair than others, and days when it feels as though a major storm is on the horizon. Though we cannot forecast the future with certainty, we can look for those early warning signs which suggest we act prudently to protect our values. It has always been up to us to take social responsibility for our privacy through education

Will the upcoming fashion weeks in New York, London, and Milan put privacy protection on the runway? Perhaps not (yet!), but privacy is making headway into the fashion world far beyond the conspiracy-theory set. The tin-foil hat is out, but new accessories to thwart paparazzi and facial recognition systems are in. And don’t worry, we’ve come a long way from the iconic “computer hood privacy scarf” of 2006. This summer’s latest is the ISHU scarf by Saif Siddiqui. According to

The privacy movement is real, active and capturing the attention of legislators, journalists and consumers. You can play a meaningful role in the preservation of your privacy rights. Just ask Ann Cavoukian, Ontario’s former privacy commissioner. According to Canada’s most outspoken advocate for consumer privacy protection, “…if you value your freedom, you will value your privacy.” In an interview with NPR’s All Tech Considered blog, Cavoukian discusses what’s essential to the

Happy 4th of July! On Independence Day, we Americans commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and celebrate our freedom. Where does privacy fit into our concepts of freedom, independence and democracy? Under what circumstances do we feel that our right to privacy – our “freedom from unauthorized intrusion” has been violated? How comfortable are we with government surveillance in the name of national security and prevention of terrorism? Can we be patriotic