ITIF Senior Analyst Daniel Castro notes that privacy advocates who have opposed the use of surveillance cameras have tried to change their talking points in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing. For years these advocates have lobbied for stricter rules on the use of surveillance cameras that limit their effectiveness, and then later try to claim that this means these systems are not useful. Moreover, until now, these privacy advocates have consistently denied any public value from surveillance cameras, and now that this argument has been lost, they are retreating to other tired claims. In this article, Castro refutes those claims and calls out privacy groups like ACLU, EPIC, and EFF for their attempts to disguise ideological opposition to surveillance cameras as a rational debate about cost and effectiveness.
Privacy
Caught on Camera: The Inconsistency of Privacy Advocates on Surveillance Technology
The Cost of Privacy: Netflix – Three Years & Three-Quarters of a Million Dollars
Today, Netflix announced a new feature—“Netflix Social”—which lets users share the TV shows and movies they watch on Netflix with their friends on Facebook. This was made possible because of an update to a privacy law. In this blog, ITIF Senior Analyst Daniel Castro argues that this is a clear example of how privacy laws can stall innovation. In this case, the cost of privacy was approximately three years and three-quarter of a million dollars.
The FTC’s Top Consumer Priority Should be Identity Theft
As Commissioner Ramirez begins her new term, senior analyst Daniel Castro encourages her to consider how the FTC can be more effective at making meaningful progress in addressing identity theft, such as through better use of technology. By building on its previous efforts, the FTC can reduce the financial pain and inconveniences incurred by the practice and better address the needs of American consumers.
