The expanding prominence of the internet in people’s daily lives presents them with having to make increasingly more decisions regarding their privacy online. The privacy paradox brings an...Show moreThe expanding prominence of the internet in people’s daily lives presents them with having to make increasingly more decisions regarding their privacy online. The privacy paradox brings an interesting phenomenon into these decisions. This concept describes the discrepancy between people’s attitude and behaviour towards privacy. Following one of the explanatory models of the privacy paradox, this quantitative thesis investigates the role of privacy awareness on privacy encroaching policies. It does so by an experimental research design consisting of a survey, which resulted in a sample of 69 participants. Results of this study show that, although a negative relationship between the two variables exist, this relationship cannot be concluded with certainty as the results prove not statistically significant. Therefore, this thesis aligns with the argument of the ongoing debate on privacy awareness that states that privacy awareness does not have a significant influence on support for privacy encroaching policies. Concluding, this thesis emphasizes the need for reassessment of the factor privacy awareness in other conditions, as well as the continuation of research of other explanatory factors.Show less
This study analyses the conflicts and trade-offs of the concept of privacy with itself, as privacy can be seen as an umbrella term with many interpretations and definitions. The research focus on...Show moreThis study analyses the conflicts and trade-offs of the concept of privacy with itself, as privacy can be seen as an umbrella term with many interpretations and definitions. The research focus on side effects of privacy measures made in US intelligence policies, particularly on the USA Freedom Act. While its aim was to better protect privacy interests, the study has shown that policies made in the USA Freedom Act led to changed interpretations of other legislations which actually created violations to privacy. Hence, these side-effects, so-called privacy-privacy trade-offs, contradict the goal of the USA Freedom Act, which has been adopted to safeguard the privacy and civil liberties of US citizens. Consequently, this study urges for a better understanding of the phenomenon of privacy-privacy trade-offs and to better anticipate on possible negative side-effects of the measures that are taken to protect privacy.Show less
Many modern political campaigns use psychological profiling in order to influence voting decisions. I argue that this practice threatens the autonomy of voters. In doing so, I develop a theoretical...Show moreMany modern political campaigns use psychological profiling in order to influence voting decisions. I argue that this practice threatens the autonomy of voters. In doing so, I develop a theoretical account of autonomy. In order to protect voters from psychological profiling, I suggest a form of “privacy paternalism,” which prevents people from acquiescing to the trade and aggregation of their personal data. My thesis involves two separate claims. The first is that psychological profiling is capable of violating autonomy. The second is that, because psychological profiling can violate autonomy, it should be outlawed.Show less
A comparative analysis between the Federal law of the Russian Federation No. 152-FZ on Personal Data and the European Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC and the General Data Protection Regulation...Show moreA comparative analysis between the Federal law of the Russian Federation No. 152-FZ on Personal Data and the European Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC and the General Data Protection Regulation EU 2016/679.Show less
Data transfers are done on a global scale and are impervious to man-made geographical borders. Attempts to regulate them may therefore lead to jurisdictional overlaps. This paper focuses on the EU...Show moreData transfers are done on a global scale and are impervious to man-made geographical borders. Attempts to regulate them may therefore lead to jurisdictional overlaps. This paper focuses on the EU using its power to change standards abroad. This is done in light of the Normative Power Europe concept. This concept is a particular perspective on the EU’s international role and its influence on affairs beyond its borders. From this perspective, the EU promotes and spreads its norms to third countries or other external entities. When it comes to privacy and data protection standards, the EU seems to be doing exactly this. This paper is an attempt to anchor EU privacy policy in the broader theoretical context of Normative Power Europe, developing a subset concept: Privacy Power Europe. This entails the construction of a Privacy Power Europe ideal type, having various characteristic features. The paper then continues with an extensive evaluation whether the EU in its current form and actions in fact shows these characteristic features. The question is asked whether the EU is a normative power in the area of privacy and data protection.Show less
Research master thesis | Literary Studies (research) (MA)
open access
This thesis explores the field of photography and studies its relationship with and its influence on the meaning and interpretation of privacy. The latter has been widely discussed in recent years...Show moreThis thesis explores the field of photography and studies its relationship with and its influence on the meaning and interpretation of privacy. The latter has been widely discussed in recent years because of the presumed lack thereof in our contemporary digitalized, globalized and 'free' world. Privacy is considered to be pivotal to our identity and being in this world. In this thesis I will argue that privacy is innately individual and can be considered as a personal desire to protect and demarcate everything that we do not know yet. It is a desire not to be a victim of everything that is happening in the world around oneself. In our contemporary world privacy is increasingly 'rational' and no longer concerned with physical access to something or somebody. Photography has the ambiguous task to lay bare the things we do not already know, and to be the threat to our privacy.Show less
In dit literatuuronderzoek wordt getracht de lezer aan de hand van bestaande literatuur en film te overtuigen waarom de Human Flesh Search Engine een inbreuk op de privacy is. Dit wordt structureel...Show moreIn dit literatuuronderzoek wordt getracht de lezer aan de hand van bestaande literatuur en film te overtuigen waarom de Human Flesh Search Engine een inbreuk op de privacy is. Dit wordt structureel gedaan door eerst uit te leggen wat de Human Flesh Search Engine precies is, wat de voor- en nadelen van dit fenomeen zijn, waarom het juist in China opgekomen is, wat er wettelijk geschreven is over privacy in China, hoe dit zich verhoudt tot het Westen en in het bijzonder Nederland en wat de juridische implicaties van de Human Flesh Search Engine zijn. In de discussie worden de conclusies gegeven.Show less
Na openbaring van de afluisterpraktijken van de NSA ontstond veel ophef. Welke morele bezwaren zijn er echter precies aan te voeren tegen spionage? In vier paradigm cases wordt nagegaan om welke...Show moreNa openbaring van de afluisterpraktijken van de NSA ontstond veel ophef. Welke morele bezwaren zijn er echter precies aan te voeren tegen spionage? In vier paradigm cases wordt nagegaan om welke redenen spionage in elk van deze casus bezwaarlijk is.Show less
This thesis compares the use of frames in newspaper articles and parliamentary documents with regard to privacy related events. The objectives are to clarify framing dynamics between Dutch media...Show moreThis thesis compares the use of frames in newspaper articles and parliamentary documents with regard to privacy related events. The objectives are to clarify framing dynamics between Dutch media and parliament, as well as to answer privacy-issue specific questions with regard to framing. Based on two major events demarcating the research period – i.e., the 2001 World Trade Center attacks and Edward Snowden’s NSA revelations mid 2013 – it is hypothesized that the way state authorities are framed changes over time from ensuring security towards violating privacy. Furthermore it is hypothesized that changes in privacy frames correspond between similar events and differ between distinct clusters of events. Finally, the ‘who-follows-who question’ is treated by means of a ‘lead/lag’ model that compares framing overlap between newspaper articles and parliamentary documents. The data used to achieve both objectives are acquired by coding two Dutch national newspapers (Telegraaf and Volkskrant) and written questions from Dutch parliament for the period between January 1999 and March 2014. Researching this particular period enables to assess the expected dynamics between both arenas between above mentioned landslide events. The data suggest that the expected changes in the way state authorities are frames is absent. The ‘lead/lag model suggests that on average media are leading parliament with regard to framing privacy related events. The data furthermore suggests no over-time shift in influence from one arena to the other. Unfortunately, the lead/lag model, as well as the long-term frame dynamics, provides only rough indicators for answering the research questions and assessing the set hypotheses. Therefore, the provided insights are only tentative and ask for further research, so as to deepen understanding about privacy frames and framing dynamics between media and parliament even further.Show less
This thesis addresses two developments that have been ignored in the framing literature: the absence of security-related subjects in this field of research and the lack of comparative issue framing...Show moreThis thesis addresses two developments that have been ignored in the framing literature: the absence of security-related subjects in this field of research and the lack of comparative issue framing experiments. Although the research record to date has demonstrated highly robust evidence from issue framing experiments, this thesis argues that security-related subjects have been largely ignored in the academic debate about framing. This is striking, since security concerns, especially since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, play a prominent role in contemporary political-, societal- and mass media environments in the United States and Europe. Furthermore, this thesis demonstrates that a focus on security-issues fills the academic gap on comparative framing research: by comparing the influence of issue frames on security issues in two countries where the salience of these security issues differ (the United States and the Netherlands), this study examines whether pre-existing attitudes within the population towards security-issues might influence the strength of the effects of issue framing.Show less
Privacy is a very broad concept, comprising for example physical privacy, the ability to make decisions or act without other parties’ knowledge, and control over personal information (Kemp 2007, 63...Show morePrivacy is a very broad concept, comprising for example physical privacy, the ability to make decisions or act without other parties’ knowledge, and control over personal information (Kemp 2007, 63-65).Show less
