The ongoing revolution in electronic information technology raises
critical questions about our right to privacy. As more personal
information is gathered and stored at breathtaking speed, corporate
America is confronted with the ethical and practical issues of how
to handle the information in its databases: how should it be
safeguarded and who should have access to it? In
Managing
Privacy, Jeff Smith examines the policies of corporations such
as insurance companies, banks, and credit card firms that regularly
process medical, financial, and consumer data. According to Smith,
many companies lack comprehensive policies regulating the access to
and distribution of personal data, and where stated policies do
exist, actual practices often conflict. Few organizations are
willing to become leaders in the development of such policies,
instead formulating privacy guidelines only after being pressured
by consumers, the media, or legislators. Smith argues that as
information technology advances, both corporations and society as a
whole must modify their approaches to privacy protection, and he
presents specific suggestions for developing such policies.
Originally published in 1994.
A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the
latest in digital technology to make available again books from our
distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These
editions are published unaltered from the original, and are
presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both
historical and cultural value.