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(Professor of law) Neil Richards
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Why Privacy Matters 1st Edition

by Neil Richards (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 51 ratings
Editors' pick Best Nonfiction
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A much-needed corrective on what privacy is, why it matters, and how we can protect in an age when so many believe that the concept is dead.

Everywhere we look, companies and governments are spying on us--seeking information about us and everyone we know. Ad networks monitor our web-surfing to send us "more relevant" ads. The NSA screens our communications for signs of radicalism. Schools track students' emails to stop school shootings. Cameras guard every street corner and traffic light, and drones fly in our skies. Databases of human information are assembled for purposes of "training" artificial intelligence programs designed to predict everything from traffic patterns to the location of undocumented migrants. We're even tracking ourselves, using personal electronics like Apple watches, Fitbits, and other gadgets that have made the "quantified self" a realistic possibility. As Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg once put it, "the Age of Privacy is over." But Zuckerberg and others who say "privacy is dead" are wrong. In Why Privacy Matters, Neil Richards explains that privacy isn't dead, but rather up for grabs.

Richards shows how the fight for privacy is a fight for power that will determine what our future will look like, and whether it will remain fair and free. If we want to build a digital society that is consistent with our hard-won commitments to political freedom, individuality, and human flourishing, then we must make a meaningful commitment to privacy. Privacy matters because good privacy rules can promote the essential human values of identity, power, freedom, and trust. If we want to preserve our commitments to these precious yet fragile values, we will need privacy rules. Richards explains why privacy remains so important and offers strategies that can help us protect it from the forces that are working to undermine it. Pithy and forceful, this is essential reading for anyone interested in a topic that sits at the center of so many current problems.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0190939044
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0190939045
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    December 1, 2021
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    9.54 x 1.15 x 6.47 inches
  8. Print length
    304 pages
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

Why Privacy Matters

Why Privacy Matters

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of December 2021: Have you reluctantly decided that privacy is dead and sharing your digital information with unknown hordes is the toll to pay for modern life? Neil Richards’ Why Privacy Matters explains how the constant chorus of “privacy is dead” is crooned most often by those who will profit from this demise, and how we can push back against this insidious song. With dry wit and compelling examples, Richards shows that we can retake control of our privacy, strengthening our personal freedoms and putting power back into our own hands. —Adrian Liang, Amazon Books

Review

"Author Neil Richards captures some very thought-provoking situations and his book is an exceptionally good read. While it is not an everyday 'how to' guide for practitioners who work in the relevant field, it can certainly help seasoned practitioners, newcomers to law or those who wish to explore the deeper meaning of privacy law understand why privacy may be about power. It helps those in law understand why their client may be worried about their data being misused or misappropriated, and what those who collect our data can do with it. By understanding why privacy matters, we can better understand how to assist those seeking our help." -- Zainab Zaeem-Sattar, solicitor at Runnymede Law, London, The Law Society Gazette

"This thought-provoking book may inspire us to explore many theoretical ways to address privacy issues as well as create general models of protecting privacy. It is indispensable for those who wish to know more about privacy both academically and practically." -- Qian Li, Institute for Chinese Legal Modernization Studies, Nanjing Normal University, The Edinburgh Law Review

"Neil Richards argues powerfully and eloquently about the importance of privacy in our lives and society. Insightful and nuanced, but also very accessible and clear, Why Privacy Matters is essential reading for anyone concerned about individual identity and freedom in a world where digital technologies are spinning out of control." -- Daniel J. Solove, Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School, and author of Understanding Privacy

"Why Privacy Matters is a terrific synthesis of the literature on privacy and surveillance. It is also an insightful contribution to our understanding of those profoundly important areas of life. Every page provides provocative grist for discussion. Richards's conception of 'the situated consumer' is especially valuable for helping scholars, policymakers, and citizens to think about the data-collection thicket that marks our twenty-first century." -- Joseph Turow, Robert Lewis Shayon Professor of Media Systems and Industries, University of Pennsylvania, and author of The Voice Catchers: How Marketers Listen in to Exploit Your Feelings, Your Privacy, and Your Wallet

"Privacy is not dead: it's the only power we have in an accelerating information society. Neil Richards offers us not just a clear-sighted defense of privacy but also a wise and humane set of guidelines for protecting it. Have the 'Privacy Conversation' with Richards; you will emerge enlightened―and even inspired―about the choices we face and the rules we still can make to govern the flow of our information." -- Sarah E. Igo, Professor of History, Vanderbilt University, and author of The Known Citizen: A History of Privacy in Modern America

"Neil Richards persuasively lays down precisely why we, humans, should and must continue to apply notions and standards of privacy and data protection―even in a seemingly all-surveilling world. While reinforcing the critical importance of current regulation, he provides timely reasoning as to why our societies and governments must equally and urgently apply energy to defining, evolving, and refining the rules that enable and maintain personal empowerment in this Information Age. This book nails the case for why 'privacy is dead' is a cop-out." -- Helen Dixon, Data Protection Commissioner for Ireland

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (December 1, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0190939044
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0190939045
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.54 x 1.15 x 6.47 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 51 ratings

About the author

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(Professor of law) Neil Richards

(Professor of law) Neil Richards

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Neil Richards writes about the digital technologies that are revolutionizing our lives, and how our law must evolve to protect our cherished civil liberties. He is the Koch Distinguished Professor in Law at Washington University, where also directs the Cordell Institute. He was born in Liverpool, England and moved to the United States when he was eleven. He holds degrees in law and history from the University of Virginia, and lives in St. Louis with his family. He is an avid cyclist and a life-long supporter of Liverpool football club.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
51 global ratings
Essential reading for anyone interested in privacy!
5 Stars
Essential reading for anyone interested in privacy!
This wise, accessible, and well-evidenced book is essential reading for anyone interested in privacy. Richards makes a compelling case for the ongoing importance of privacy, refuting privacy detractors and fatalists alike. I will be assigning this book in class and giving it as gifts to friends. - Professor Ryan Calo
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Top reviews from the United States

nora gettins
5.0 out of 5 stars If you use a computer or have a phone- this is mandatory reading.
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book is a must read for all who participate in the digital world. I will provide a few key bullet points why I adore this book.
Prof. Richards has a clear and engaging writing style . While reading this book, I felt like I was a Washington University law student having a 1-2-1 session with my professor.
I found the topic of the "situated customer" very interesting. I know that companies can monitor real time click data and create customer profiles. Now I have an increased appreciation for consumer protection laws.
The fact that technology can be used to change human behavior is fascinating and makes me think twice about what I am looking at online and why. In addition- I will never look at a privacy notice or cookie notice on a website the same way again.
I really liked Prof Richards's explanation of information processing, information collection, information dissemination and invasion. I have to complete privacy impact assessments (PIA) at work. I now have clarity on why the questions in a PIA are asked.
This book has inspired me to follow the Future of Privacy Forum

Happy reading everyone- you will not regret your purchase.
3 people found this helpful
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Danielle Keats Citron
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, urgent read—you won’t put it down
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book is precisely what we need—a clear eyed, beautifully written, and richly developed argument about the issue of our age—the privacy of our personal data. Richards is a thinker par excellence. He gets to the heart of why we need to protect our privacy. He shows how companies and governments are gaining power over us by amassing our data, how that power risks our autonomy and identity, and how that power will run amuck if we don’t stand up for our privacy. Richards does all of this with stories and deep and clear thinking. Bravo!!!
One person found this helpful
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Nasir
4.0 out of 5 stars Content
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2023
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Good book
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J. H.
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the book you need to learn about privacy.
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2021
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Neil Richards has written the absolutely essential book on privacy in our times. This book isn't just for academics or practitioners. It's for everyone. Privacy is a topic that can be confusing or easily misunderstood. In "Why Privacy Matters," Richards starts at the very beginning with the basics and with clarity, elegance, and even humor, makes the case for privacy in our modern age. If you only read one book on our modern privacy predicament, read this one.
One person found this helpful
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Ryan Calo
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for anyone interested in privacy!
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2021
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This wise, accessible, and well-evidenced book is essential reading for anyone interested in privacy. Richards makes a compelling case for the ongoing importance of privacy, refuting privacy detractors and fatalists alike. I will be assigning this book in class and giving it as gifts to friends. - Professor Ryan Calo
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Ryan Calo
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for anyone interested in privacy!
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2021
This wise, accessible, and well-evidenced book is essential reading for anyone interested in privacy. Richards makes a compelling case for the ongoing importance of privacy, refuting privacy detractors and fatalists alike. I will be assigning this book in class and giving it as gifts to friends. - Professor Ryan Calo
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Willie Carr
5.0 out of 5 stars Good writing!
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2022
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Exellent writing with tons of useful information.
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Paul
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, most accessible books about privacy!
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2021
I've read many, many books about information privacy in the digital age, and this one of the best! It is both sophisticated and super clear in equal measure. It's especially great for anyone who thinks, "privacy is dead, get over it" or "I have nothing to hide." I hope any engaged citizen picks this up to learn all about one of the important issues of the day from a bright and engaging writer.
One person found this helpful
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Bill McGeveran
5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible for all, but sophisticated
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2021
This is a really well written, accessible, often humorous book about privacy. I am a privacy professional, and I enjoyed it and learned from it, but also I am giving it to some friends and family members to explain to them, "see, this is what I do and why it's important!"
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Victor
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice
Reviewed in Brazil on July 26, 2022
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Nice
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elasmobranch
2.0 out of 5 stars Small font size
Reviewed in India on August 9, 2023
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Font size small. Those with vision issues like senior citizens will struggle. Please add a typeface size also to the catalog list.
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