Technology in the 21st Century: A Revolution in Communications, Education & Information
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
"The same rights of privacy which apply to print media should be guaranteed to users of high tech communications like cellular phones and e-mail. "
Please review the arguments for and against the statement and enter your response.
Pros Privacy is one of the important building blocks of democracy. Unfortunately, the blessings of high tech communications also include the increased ability to eavesdrop. Business policies and a supporting legal structure need to be explicit in defending the privacy of electronic communications. The lack of assurance of privacy will eventually result in the weakening of such media as communication tools.
Cons Businesses and government agencies which provide high tech communication systems to their employees have an important fiscal and ethical responsibility to monitor and censor their use. The simple fact of the matter is that e-mail and cellular phones are not private. People should not use these systems for communicating private matters.