Privacy in a Digital Age: Keynote Presentation by Bruce Schneier

Personal privacy is critical to the exercise of free speech and free thought. Lack of privacy suppresses access to ideas and undermines democratic well-being. In today’s digital world there are a number of trends that threaten to impinge on citizens’ privacy, including increased surveillance of electronic communications by public agencies and the gathering and use of online personal data for commercial purposes. This seminar, co-sponsored by Carnegie UK Trust, explores the key debates regarding privacy and the role that public libraries can play in this arena.

Bruce Schneier is a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School.