Privacy Lost: The Net, Autonomous Agents, and \u27Virtual Information\u27

Abstract

The positive qualities of the Internet-anonymity, openness, and reproducibility have added a new ethical dimension to the privacy debate. This paper describes a new and significant way in which privacy is violated. A type of personal information, called \u27virtual information\u27 is described and the effectiveness of techniques to protect this type of information is examined. This examination includes a discussion of technical approaches and professional standards as ways to address this violation of \u27virtual information.\u2