Deck 19: Privacy

Question 1

Talk about:
-Active surveillance

Answer 1

any form of surveillance that is carried out by an actual person such that, when it is successful, the information collected on the target(s) of surveillance is immediately made known to the person conducting the surveillance.

Question 2

Talk about:
-Coercion

Answer 2

the act of forcing someone to act in a particular way such that her autonomy is compromised.

Question 3

Talk about:
-Government surveillance

Answer 3

surveillance carried out by the state or by orders of the state.

Question 4

Talk about:
-Passive surveillance

Question 5

Talk about:
-Privacy

Question 6

Talk about:
-Public safety

Question 7

Talk about:
-Social media

Question 8

Talk about:
-Surveillance

Question 9

Talk about:
-Testimonial evidence

Question 10

The amount of privacy we have depends on

A) our level of autonomy.
B) our control over information about ourselves.
C) the strength of our personal relations.
D) All of the above

Question 11

According to the text, people's privacy can be reduced by

A) data collection by private companies.
B) active state surveillance.
C) passive surveillance.
D) All of the above

Question 12

What sort of information on individuals do governments and private companies collect?

A) Online data including emails, social media posts, and web searches
B) Telephone call records
C) Geolocation data
D) All of the above

Question 13

Surveillance undertaken by devices that collect information without immediately making it known to other people is called _______ surveillance.

A) active
B) indirect
C) passive
D) direct

Question 14

Surveillance carried out by an actual person such that the information collected is immediately made known is called _______ surveillance.

A) active
B) indirect
C) passive
D) direct

Question 15

Privacy has _______ value because it enables us to prevent harms and achieve goods that we might otherwise be unable to acquire.

A) intrinsic
B) instrumental
C) absolute
D) All of the above

Question 16

The power to guide our lives through our own free choices is known as

A) freedom of the will.
B) autonomy.
C) voluntariness.
D) moral agency.

Question 17

The action of forcing someone to act in a particular way such that their autonomy is compromised is called

A) oppression.
B) violence.
C) heteronomy.
D) coercion.

Question 18

According to the text, what benefit can a consequentialist point to justify state surveillance?

A) Crime deterrence
B) Protecting the public
C) Improving the reliability of legal verdicts
D) All of the above

Question 19

Which of the following is a consequentialist argument?

A) The Privacy Argument from Autonomy
B) The Argument from Intimacy
C) The Privacy Argument from Personal Relations
D) None of the above

Question 20

Which of the following is a nonconsequentialist argument?

A) The Privacy Argument from Autonomy
B) The Control of Privacy Argument
C) The Privacy Argument from Personal Relations
D) All of the above

Question 21

According to Kantians, _______ is the basis of human dignity.

A) privacy
B) personal relations
C) intimacy
D) autonomy

Question 22

An action's being morally suspect means that

A) we have a moral obligation to refrain from doing it.
B) it is always immoral.
C) there is ordinarily some moral strike against it.
D) All of the above

Question 23

For consequentialists, engaging in either active or passive surveillance of others is _______ whenever doing so would maximize good results.

A) permissible
B) morally required
C) supererogatory
D) Both a and b

Question 24

According to the text, being deprived of information needed to make decisions is a standard way someone can lose their

A) privacy.
B) autonomy.
C) will power.
D) personal relations.

Question 25

According to the text, nonconsequentialists can attempt to justify privacy in relation to the moral importance of

A) autonomy.
B) our ability to form close relationships.
C) sustaining intimate relationships.
D) All of the above

Question 26

The Argument from _______ relies on the claim that a certain amount of shared privacy is a necessary condition for having close, trusting relationships.

A) Personal Relations
B) Autonomy
C) Control
D) Intimacy

Question 27

According to the text, a common example of _______ is the secrets that loving couples tell only between themselves.

A) personal information
B) co-autonomy
C) shared privacy
D) consent

Question 28

According to the Control of Privacy Argument, violations of privacy

A) undermine our autonomy.
B) lead to suboptimal results.
C) involve taking information without consent.
D) All of the above

Question 29

According to the text, the thought that our personal information is ours

A) needs to be argued for.
B) is a truism.
C) is irrelevant to privacy concerns.
D) cannot be proven.

Question 30

What is the Consequentialist Argument for Surveillance? What is the strongest objection to this argument in your view? Is this objection strong enough to undermine the argument? Why or why not?

Question 31

What is the difference between consequentialist and non-consequentialist approaches to privacy? Do you find one approach more compelling than the other? Why or why not?

Question 32

What is the difference between active and passive surveillance? Is there any moral difference between the two in your view? Why or why not?

Question 33

What is the strongest non-consequentialist argument in favor of privacy protections in your view? Write an essay in which you lay out this argument and then present one strong objection to it.

Question 34

What is autonomy? How can defenders of privacy rights make use of the concept of autonomy to criticize privacy infringements? How successful is this autonomy-based criticism in your view? Defend your answer.

Question 35

Bentham's idea that being subject to supervision and observation yields socially beneficial results is known as the

A) principle of observation.
B) inspection principle.
C) principle of utility.
D) principle of public liability.

Question 36

If adopted, what positive social effect does Bentham think his ideas on observation and supervision would have?

A) They would invigorate industry.
B) They would reform morals.
C) They would lighten public burdens.
D) All of the above

Question 37

What is Singer's view of state secrecy?

A) It is always justified.
B) It is unnecessary for diplomacy.
C) It is rarely justified.
D) It should be abolished.

Question 38

Singer suggests that, in the West, the desire for privacy reflects a

A) desire for social status.
B) puritanical devotion to modesty.
C) strain of selfish individualism.
D) disregard for the public good.

Question 39

What is inverse surveillance?

A) Citizen surveillance of other citizens
B) Government surveillance of itself
C) Citizen surveillance of government
D) The surveillance of government by terrorist groups

Question 40

What, according to Singer, was one of the first victories of citizen surveillance?

A) Bentham's panopticon
B) Edward Snowden's release of classified documents to journalists
C) The formation of WikiLeaks
D) The videotape of the beating of Rodney King

Question 41

What benefit of inverse surveillance does Singer identify?

A) Preventing terrorism
B) Informing the world of abuses of power
C) Protecting state secrets
D) All of the above

Question 42

Steve Mann uses the term _______ to describe the wearing of personal imaging devices.

A) "sousveillance"
B) "citizen surveillance"
C) "personal surveillance"
D) "street surveillance"

Question 43

According to Singer, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange defends the release of classified documents on the grounds that

A) there is no inalienable right to privacy.
B) there are no negative consequences to doing so.
C) leaking information has an inherent tendency toward greater justice.
D) All of the above

Question 44

According to Singer, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticized WikiLeaks disclosures on the grounds that they

A) are made with no regard for consequences.
B) tear at the fabric of responsible government.
C) endanger human rights activists.
D) All of the above

Question 45

What is Bentham's inspection principle? Do you agree that the universal adoption of this principle would be to the overall benefit of society? Why or why not?

Question 46

According to Singer, how does Julian Assange defend the release of classified information? Is this a compelling defense in your view, or are you more persuaded by his critics? Defend your answer.

Question 47

Singer lays out some of the benefits and harms of modern technologies that make it easy to collect, store, and disseminate data. However, Singer does not say whether he thinks we are better off in this era of greater openness all things considered. Where do you come down? Is greater openness generally for the better? Or for the worse? Defend your answer.

Question 48

Why, according to Rachels, is privacy important to us?

A) Because it is sometimes necessary to protect our interests in competitive situations
B) Because there are aspects of our lives we would be embarrassed for others to know
C) Because it is required to create and maintain social relationships
D) All of the above

Question 49

Rachels includes a passage from John Barth's novel End of the Road in order to illustrate how

A) it is sometimes necessary to protect our interests in competitive situations.
B) there are aspects of our lives we would be embarrassed for others to know.
C) privacy is required to create and maintain social relationships.
D) All of the above

Question 50

Why does Rachels think that the four examples at the beginning of his essay will not provide a complete understanding of the importance of privacy?

A) They all involve unusual sorts of situations.
B) They are limited in that they only show the importance of privacy in connection to our social relationships.
C) They fail to show why privacy has instrumental value.
D) All of the above

Question 51

Rachels's account of the value of privacy is based on the idea that there is a close connection between our ability to control who has access to information about us and our ability to

A) avoid unfair treatment.
B) improve our socioeconomic status.
C) create and maintain different sorts of social relationships.
D) flourish creatively.

Question 52

According to Rachels, any adequate account of privacy should help us understand

A) what makes something someone's business.
B) the sorts of things we should find embarrassing.
C) the value of social relationships.
D) All of the above

Question 53

Which of the following is not true according to Rachels?

A) Privacy is important even when we have nothing to hide.
B) It is dishonest to exhibit different patterns of behavior in different relationships.
C) The requirements of social roles may vary from community to community.
D) Medical records should be kept private.

Question 54

Rachels claims that our social relationships are defined, in part, by

A) bonds of affection.
B) the patterns of behavior associated with them.
C) their use.
D) the feelings of loyalty they inspire.

Question 55

Rachels argues that the relationships people have with one another involve a conception of

A) how it is appropriate for them to behave.
B) the kind of knowledge it is appropriate for them to have of one another.
C) the degree of knowledge it is appropriate for them to have of one another.
D) All of the above

Question 56

According to Rachels's account, a fact about ourselves is someone's business if

A) their knowing that fact won't embarrass us.
B) we have a relationship with them.
C) there is a specific relationship between us that entitles them to know it.
D) their knowing the fact will not cost us a competitive advantage.

Question 57

According to Rachels, to whom can we say "It's none of your business" when asked how much money we have in the bank?

A) Our banker
B) Our spouse
C) Prospective creditors
D) A co-worker

Question 58

What, according to Rachels, is the connection between privacy and the ability to maintain social relationships? Does this connection make for a compelling account of the importance of privacy in your view? Why or why not?

Question 59

How does Rachels respond to the suggestion that it is dishonest or hypocritical to observe different standards of conduct with different people? Is his response persuasive? Why or why not?

Question 60

Rachels begins his essay by pointing out how standard accounts of privacy, while not incorrect, leave out a critical dimension of its importance. Is there anything that Rachels's own account leaves out in your view? If so, what is it and why is it important?

Question 61

Allen uses the term _______ to denote conditions of limited access to, and limited disclosure of, personal data.

A) data protection
B) personal privacy
C) informational security
D) informational privacy

Question 62

Which of the following is true according to Allen?

A) The dangers posed by new technologies have led to an increased appreciation of, and respect for, privacy.
B) We live in an era of personal revelation.
C) The are no ethical grounds to object to making disclosures about ourselves.
D) Personal concealment is necessarily dishonest and contrary to virtue.

Question 63

According to Allen, the example of Anthony Weiner illustrates voluntary self-revelation for the purpose of

A) monetary gain.
B) amusement.
C) justice.
D) All of the above

Question 64

According to Allen, what ranks among the values and goods related to privacy and its protection?

A) Civility
B) Self-expression
C) Intimacy
D) All of the above

Question 65

Which of the following examples discussed in the text does Allen consider to be unethical?

A) WikiLeaks publishing sensitive government documents
B) Joyce Maynard's decision to sell letters written to her by a former lover
C) Dharun Ravi using a webcam to pull a prank his college roommate
D) None of the above (The ethics of each example is debatable according to Allen.)

Question 66

According to Allen, what ranks among the values and goods that properly limit privacy?

A) Toleration
B) Public health
C) Individualism
D) All of the above

Question 67

Which of the following is true of the protection afforded by the First Amendment?

A) It does not extend to libelous speech.
B) It is absolute and unqualified.
C) It does not extend to speech on the Internet.
D) All of the above

Question 68

Who is the key architect of the legal right to privacy in the United States?

A) John Adams
B) Samuel D. Warren
C) Louis D. Brandeis
D) Oliver Wendell Holmes

Question 69

According to Allen's analysis of his diaries, what was John Adams's general view of personal privacy?

A) We should not disclose things that would garner admiration and approval.
B) It is an absolute good.
C) It always aligns with our raw self-interested preferences.
D) We should conceal things that would lead to danger, disgraces, and dishonor.

Question 70

What is Allen's secular reading of the rationale for self-concealment suggested in the Gospel of Matthew?

A) Don't be a show-off.
B) Virtue is its own reward.
C) Keeping goodness to yourself makes you really good.
D) All of the above

Question 71

Describe the four examples that Allen lays out at the start of her essay. Is there anything morally problematic about the behavior in these examples in your view? Why or why not?

Question 72

Allen believes that revealing facts about yourself to others can be unethical. Why does she believe this? Do you agree? Why or why not?

Question 73

What do the diaries of John Adams and the Gospel of Matthew tell us about the ethics of concealment and personal disclosure according to Allen? Do you agree with their views as Allen describes them? Why or why not?

Question 74

Taylor argues that _______ should be subject to constant state surveillance.

A) suspected criminals
B) ordinary citizens
C) public officials
D) All of the above

Question 75

Taylor claims that his position on state surveillance flows from the widely accepted view that

A) governments have the right and responsibility to do whatever is necessary to deter crime.
B) it is morally permissible for the State to secure information about past events in certain circumstances.
C) security concerns trump privacy rights.
D) actions are right insofar as they maximize overall happiness.

Question 76

Taylor claims that his argument is compatible with

A) a consequentialist approach to ethics only.
B) a rights-based approach to ethics only.
C) both consequentialist and rights-based approaches to ethics.
D) neither consequentialist nor rights-based approaches to ethics.

Question 77

What is the first premise of Taylor's argument?

A) In some cases, it is permissible for the State to secure information about past events.
B) It is morally permissible for the State to have access to all the information that its surveillance devices secure.
C) The information the State is morally permitted to secure is limited to the minimum needed to achieve the legitimate purposes for which the State needs it.
D) If it is ever morally permissible for the State to secure information about past events, then it is morally permissible for it to do so through the use of surveillance devices.

Question 78

According to Taylor, what will likely be reduced if a system of universal state surveillance is implemented?

A) The number of people wrongfully accused
B) Crime
C) The burdens placed on trial witnesses
D) All of the above

Question 79

Which of the following statements does Taylor not accept?

A) A system of constant state surveillance is likely to be abused to some extent.
B) In a system of constant surveillance, the information the State is morally permitted to secure is limited to the minimum needed to achieve its purposes.
C) It is morally permissible for the State to place its citizens under constant surveillance.
D) In a system of constant surveillance, the State is morally permitted access to all the information that its surveillance devices secure.

Question 80

Which of the following is one of the likely benefits of universal State surveillance according to Taylor?

A) Less government expenditure on policing
B) Greater government transparency
C) A more equitable justice system
D) Greater personal freedom