International Report: What Impact Is Technology Having on Privacy around the World?

Given the global spread of the Internet, the state of privacy in the twenty-first century is an international problem. When it comes to the impact of technology on privacy and security, several main themes emerge, including cyber crime (and crime fighting), the applicability of old privacy rules to new technologies, and whether firms can share customer data without authorization.
China: "Human Search" Invades Privacy

In China, a notion known as "human search" (also known as a "Internet mob") has risen in popularity over the last year or two.

This information, together with negative information about the spouse uploaded by the wife's sister, helped to spread the news about the suicide's circumstances. Three Internet sites, as well as one of his wife's acquaintances, have been sued by the husband. The wife's blog post had gotten more than 9,700 comments as of mid-August.

Last week, Chinese Internet users launched a nationwide hunt for the father of Olympic air pistol gold champion Guo Wenjun, who abandoned her ten years ago and left her in the hands of her coach. Reuters reported on August 12 that, while the search for the missing parent has yet to be localised, tens of thousands of Web surfers and several chat rooms have reported seeing the missing parent.

Other human search examples aren't quite as inspiring. According to Fool's Mountain, a San Francisco–based English language site about Chinese issues, a devastated Chinese woman posted about her husband's infidelity, including his name, workplace, and other personal information, before jumping 24 floors to her death in December 2007.

This information, together with negative information about the spouse uploaded by the wife's sister, helped to spread the news about the suicide's circumstances. Three Internet sites, as well as one of his wife's acquaintances, have been sued by the husband. The wife's blog post had gotten more than 9,700 comments as of mid-August.