Development and Analysis of Deterministic Privacy-Preserving Policies Using Non-Stochastic Information Theory

A deterministic privacy metric using non-stochastic information theory is developed. Particularly, minimax information is used to construct a measure of information leakage, which is inversely proportional to the measure of privacy. Anyone can submit a query to a trusted agent with access to a non-stochastic uncertain private dataset. Optimal deterministic privacy-preserving policies for responding to the submitted query are computed by maximizing the measure of privacy subject to a constraint on the worst-case quality of the response (i.e., the worst-case difference between the response by the agent and the output of the query computed on the private dataset). The optimal privacy-preserving policy is proved to be a piecewise constant function in the form of a quantization operator applied on the output of the submitted query. The measure of privacy is also used to analyze the performance of $k$-anonymity methodology (a popular deterministic mechanism for privacy-preserving release of datasets using suppression and generalization techniques), proving that it is in fact not privacy-preserving.Comment: improved introduction and numerical exampl

"From Westeros' #vemprarua to the shipping of the gay kiss on brazilian TV". Fan activism: concepts, resistances and practices in digital culture

From a creative and cultural perspective fan activism is a form of resistance. In this paper, we seek to reflect upon the mobilization of these groups of fans towards their idols, as well as discussing how the search for privacy and closeness in the relationship between celebrities and their fans foster a number of activities that shape, (re) define and transcend the boundaries of fandom. We observe, from a theoretical reflexion about such phenomena and from the discussion of everyday life examples, how the rich universe of digital practices and its productions - fanfics, fanvids, fanzines, etc. - create sociocultural events such as the ‘rolezinho’, crowdfunding, fanmades in protests, offering new meanings to what we understand as resistance and problematizing the duality between the ‘world of consumption and pop culture’ and the ‘world of citizenship’

Privacy Harm Exceptionalism

“Exceptionalism” refers to the belief that a person, place, or thing is qualitatively different from others in the same basic category. Thus, some have spoken of America’s exceptionalism as a nation. Early debates about the Internet focused on the prospect that existing laws and institutions would prove inadequate to govern the new medium of cyberspace. Scholars have made similar claims about other areas of law. The focus of this short essay is the supposed exceptionalism of privacy. Rather than catalogue all the ways that privacy might differ from other concepts or areas of study, I intend to focus on the narrow but important issue of harm. I will argue that courts and some scholars require a showing of harm in privacy out of proportion with other areas of law. Many also assume, counterintuitively, that the information industry somehow differs from virtually every other industry in generating no real externalities

Human Rights in Russia and the Former Soviet Republics: Civil Society and Human Rights

A dynamic civil society is essential to a functioning democracy. After the fall of the Soviet Union there was hope that Russia could create a robust civil society to compliment its burgeoning democracy, but 15 years after the fall neither occurrence appears to be the case. Instead of an open society, Russian civil society faces challenges of oppression, threats of violence, an overbearing bureaucracy, and a constitution open to interpretation. The following research outlines some of the obstacles facing Russia’s civil society and addresses how the government is restricting civil society functions

"Beyond Compliance: Crafting A Holistic Approach To Data Privacy In The Modern Age”

Data privacy and protection are becoming more than just legal requirements; they are becoming a comprehensive strategy that is necessary to successfully navigate the challenges of the contemporary world. In order to maintain long-term viability and foster stakeholder trust, organisations need to go above and beyond the requirements of regulations in protecting sensitive information.Developing an awareness culture within the workforce, incorporating strong security protocols, and adopting innovative technologies such as encryption and anonymization are all essential components of an all-encompassing data privacy plan. Encouraging user confidence through transparent data practices can help an organisation reaffirm its commitment to information ethics.In addition, the constantly changing environment necessitates constant adjustment to new risks and modifications to laws. Every step of the data processing process, from collection to disposal, must take privacy into account when privacy by design principles are put into practice.Essentially, an all-encompassing strategy for data privacy goes beyond compliance checklists and integrates itself into the core principles and functions of the company. In the digital age, firms which take this approach not only reduce risks but also establish themselves as responsible data stewards. &nbsp

The Fourth Amendment in the Twenty-First Century: Technology, Privacy, and Human Emotions

Police and local political officials in Tampa FL argued that the FaceIt system promotes safety, but privacy advocates objected to the city\u27s recording or utilizing facial images without the victims\u27 consent, some staging protests against the FaceIt system. Privacy objects seem to be far more widely shared than this small protest might suggest

On and Off the Page: Mapping Space in Jane Austen\u27s Pride and Prejudice

Edward. T. Hall argues that, “we treat Space (somewhat) as we treat Sex. It is “there” but we don‟t talk about it” (in Felipe 210). Understandably so, talking about space or sex might indeed appear as the first attempt to shatter these borders or boundaries that protect ourselves from the others‟ intrusion onto our individual need for privacy. Borders, it is true, are useful, even necessary. They tell us where one thing ends and another begins. They draw the line between what belongs to whom and what does not. They tell us who claims what and how far these claims extend. And if it is true that Sex is not openly treated in Jane Austen‟s novels (we can easily imagine how the society of her time would have reacted), the question of space, however, is of prime importance, for indeed the borders that “situate” and often “limit” or “contain” our heroes and heroines do play a very important role in Austenian plots, if not the most important one. As Johnson argues: Austen‟s characters always experience embarrassment, expectations, anger, agitation, discomfort, and pleasure in small but very intense spaces” (46)

The Fourth Amendment in the Twenty-First Century: Technology, Privacy, and Human Emotions

Police and local political officials in Tampa FL argued that the FaceIt system promotes safety, but privacy advocates objected to the city\u27s recording or utilizing facial images without the victims\u27 consent, some staging protests against the FaceIt system. Privacy objects seem to be far more widely shared than this small protest might suggest