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The (Impossible) Art of Balancing National Security and Privacy in a Global Context



Author(s)

Anne Gerdes

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DOI:10.17265/2159-5313/2018.04.004

This paper highlights the work of collaborating European journalists, who in a series of articles, under the heading “Security for Sale—the Price we pay to protect Europeans”, problematise the European Union Funding framework for security technology research, which unfortunately may enhance business opportunities for mass surveillance systems in non-democratic states. Based on a case, involving a research project in which I participated as an ethical adviser, the paper illustrates how a lack of global perspectives constitutes a weakness inherent in methodologies within design ethics, such as Privacy by Design and value sensitive design. Finally, drawing on the notion of professional idealism (Mitcham 2003), the paper concludes by arguing in favour of moral activism from a global outlook, which goes beyond the walled gardens of the European Union. 

security technology, privacy, globalization, human rights, value-focused design