The Truth, You Can’t Handle The… Privacy

So, Barack Obama, soon to be the world’s most powerful man is going to give up email and his Blackberry. Why? From a security standpoint and because everything he does, or will do, will be open to public scrutiny and that will include email. Let’s take the security issue first… there is technology out there that locks these devices down, encryption to protect the data and policies which ensure that wrong people can’t get access and if it  is lost it can be remotely wiped and destroyed… so security really isn’t an issue.

How about the public scrutiny, is this because we no longer trust anyone to do the right thing or is it because we want to be be able to criticise everything at everypoint along the way? Whatever the reason it seems wrong to take it to the point where the most effective means of communication in a global society is removed from the person who could probably do with it the most.

The answer… I wish there was one… they say he might still receive email, just not be able to send it (what was the security argument again?) A pretty lame suggestion, a bit like having a pen but not being allowed the ink - after all won’t he just ask an aide to send the reply? I suspect 99% of emails will have been sorted out and filed before he even gets to see them. Obama has young children and while they are not yet texting or emailing or sending Instant Messages they will be by the end of his term of office - how ridiculous to prevent him from being able to communicate with them that way in the future… as that seems to be the best way to stay in touch with not only your children, but also friends and family as well.

The invasion of privacy (both business and personal) is tough for anyone in the limelight. Time to put some trust back into the system. Electronic communication is now commonplace in a social environment as well as a work one, and often the same devices are used for both. A little bit more trust in people is needed to help in this combined work/life electronic world… from the US President-Elect all the way down the tree to the rest of us - with a little more thought on what we do personally in work time and on work devices would also be good.

November 19, 2008 | Filed Under Miscellaneous 

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