Getting Naked for Big Brother: Americans are willing to "get naked" for their government if they feel it will make them more secure. That's the conclusion Jeffrey Rosen reached in his new book The Naked Crowd, which explores the willingness of Americans to abandon privacy for perceived security.
Wired News: When is it OK to give up privacy?
Rosen: Individuals strike a balance in very different ways, and societies strike the balance in different ways. Unlike Americans, Europeans tend to be much more concerned about private and corporate misuse (of data) and less concerned about government. (In the case of government use,) when surrendering privacy actually brings more security, it may well be defended. But I want to insist on some degree of empirical benefit. In other words, what are we getting in response for the surrender of privacy?
