A page-turning narrative of privacy and the evolution of communication,
from broken sealing wax to high-tech wiretapping

A sweeping story of the right to privacy as it sped along colonial postal
routes, telegraph wires, and today's fiber-optic cables on a collision
course with presidents and programmers, librarians and letter-writers.

"The history of America is the history of the right to privacy," writes
Frederick S. Lane in this vivid and penetrating exploration of our most
hotly debated constitutional right. From Governor William Bradford opening
colonists' mail bound for England, to President George W. Bush's expansive
domestic wiretapping, the motivations behind government surveillance have
changed little despite rapid advances in communications technology.
Yet all too often, American citizens have been their own worst enemies
when it comes to protecting privacy, compliantly forgoing civil liberties
in extreme times of war as well as for everyday consumer conveniences.
Each of us now contributes to an ever-evolving electronic dossier of online
shopping sprees, photo albums, health records, and political contributions,
accessible to almost anyone who cares to look. In a digitized world where
data lives forever, Lane urges us to consider whether privacy is even
a possibility. How did we arrive at this breaking point?

American Privacy traces the lineage of cultural norms and legal mandates
that have swirled around the Fourth Amendment since its adoption. In 1873,
the introduction of postcards split American opinion of public propriety.
Over a century later, Twitter takes its place on the spectrum of human
connection. Between these two nodes, Anthony Comstock waged a moral crusade
against obscene literature, George Orwell penned 1984, Joseph McCarthy
hunted Communists and "perverts," President Richard Nixon surveilled himself
right out of office, and the Supreme Court of the United States issued its
most influential legal opinions concerning the right to privacy to date.
Captured here, these historic snapshots add up to a lively narration of
privacy's champions and challengers.

Legally, technologically, and historically grounded, American Privacy
concludes with a call for Congress to recognize how innovation and
infringement go hand-in-hand, and a challenge to citizens to protect
privacy before it is lost completely.

Download File Size:2.31 MB

---