The Information Ethics Roundtable
Conference on Privacy and the Challenge of Technology
Hunter College
New York, New York
April 27, 2012
Keynote Speaker:
Helen Nissenbaum, (Media, Culture, and Communication, NYU), author of
Privacy in Context: Technology, Policy, and the Integrity of Social Life (Stanford Law, 2010)
Invited speaker: James Stacey Taylor (Philosophy, Religion, and Classical Studies, College of New Jersey), author
of Stakes and Kidneys: Why Markets in Human Body Parts are a Moral Imperative
(Ashgate, 2005).
In one sense information technology has been a boon for privacy. For instance, ATMs and online banking mean that we seldom have to present ourselves to a teller. Online shopping offers similar
benefits. However, technology can also pose a serious threat to privacy, since so much of what we now do leaves an enduring digital record. This information can then be recombined to create detailed personal profiles that could not have emerged in pre-digital
days. Moreover, this information can be distributed far, wide, and immediately without our consent or even knowledge.
Information ethics studies the value questions that arise from the creation, control, and access to information.
The Information Ethics Roundtable is a yearly conference
that brings together philosophers, information scientists, librarians, and social scientists to discuss ethical issues such as intellectual property, intellectual freedom, and censorship. This year’s conference will address conceptual, empirical, and ethical
issues related to privacy and the connection between privacy and information technology. Questions addressed will include:
Submit an abstract of up to 500 words on any of the above or closely related topics. E-mail submissions to [log in to unmask] Include your full name, institutional
affiliation, and e-mail address. Address any queries about the conference to Tony Doyle at the address given above.
Submission Deadline: January 2, 2012
Acceptance Notification: January 31, 2012