Zeynep Tufekci, Ph.DZeynep Tufekci, Ph.D Department of SociologyDepartment of Sociology

ColloquiumColloquiumDepartment of CS&EEDepartment of CS&EE

UMBC UMBC Dec 3Dec 3, 20, 201010

UMBC

Negotiating Privacy, Negotiating Privacy, Boundaries and Boundaries and

Visibility in a Visibility in a Networked World:Networked World:Why We Need to Move Why We Need to Move Beyond Opt-in vs. Opt-Beyond Opt-in vs. Opt-

OutOut

A Little About MeA Little About Me

►Unpronouncable nameUnpronouncable name (Zeynep Tufekci) (Zeynep Tufekci)►Originally from Istanbul, TurkeyOriginally from Istanbul, Turkey►Assistant Professor of Sociology at Assistant Professor of Sociology at UMBCUMBC► I study how technology interacts with I study how technology interacts with

societysociety SocialitySociality Surveillance/PrivacySurveillance/Privacy InequalityInequality

Social Structure and the Social Structure and the Architecture of our LivesArchitecture of our Lives

Shaping Society: Spaces, Flows and Shaping Society: Spaces, Flows and TimeTime

►Boundaries and BridgesBoundaries and Bridges►Access and VisibilityAccess and Visibility►Shaped through:Shaped through:

Our biology Our biology Laws of physicsLaws of physics Landscape / ArchitectureLandscape / Architecture Increasingly TechnologyIncreasingly Technology

Examples of Changes to Spaces & Examples of Changes to Spaces & FlowsFlows

►Addition of rooms & private bathrooms Addition of rooms & private bathrooms to houses to houses

►Migration to cities Migration to cities ►Pigeons, Smoke Signals, Writing, Pigeons, Smoke Signals, Writing,

Telegraph, Telephone and ... Telegraph, Telephone and ... ►You know...You know...►Whachamacallit?...Whachamacallit?...►Yes, the Internet!Yes, the Internet!

Shaping SocietyShaping Society

► It turned out that it wasn’t the social It turned out that it wasn’t the social scientists that ended up designing scientists that ended up designing society! society!

►But computer programmers, indirectly, But computer programmers, indirectly, through designing the digital architecture through designing the digital architecture which can radically alter spaces and flowswhich can radically alter spaces and flows

► ... However, this has not always been a ... However, this has not always been a smooth ridesmooth ride

Problems with Digital ArchitectureProblems with Digital Architecture

► ... often designed without sufficient ... often designed without sufficient attention to socio-technical concernsattention to socio-technical concerns

► ... ignorant of psycho-social realities... ignorant of psycho-social realities► ... assumes that users are similar to ... assumes that users are similar to

the designers in terms of tech the designers in terms of tech competence / preferencescompetence / preferences

► ... sometimes the profit motive clashes ... sometimes the profit motive clashes with user needs with user needs

► ... Effects hard to predict... Effects hard to predict

Human: The Social SpeciesHuman: The Social Species

Solitary humanSolitary humanThe Rational IndividualThe Rational IndividualThe Embedded HumanThe Embedded Human

People will “socialize” almost People will “socialize” almost anything:anything:

►Minitel! Minitel! ►““We had assumed people might We had assumed people might

use Minitel just for administrative use Minitel just for administrative business - paying bills and so on. In business - paying bills and so on. In fact, people developed all sorts of fact, people developed all sorts of surprising ways of getting the most surprising ways of getting the most out of the systemout of the system.” .” Christian Grezes, Minitel’s Marketing Christian Grezes, Minitel’s Marketing

DirectorDirector..►Telephone! Radio (well, tried)! Internet!Telephone! Radio (well, tried)! Internet!

Some notes from the Some notes from the User Manual for the HumanUser Manual for the Human

►Being social is at the core of being Being social is at the core of being human – and is lived through primary human – and is lived through primary groupsgroups

►People occupy multiple social rolesPeople occupy multiple social roles►People are not (solely or necessarily) People are not (solely or necessarily)

rationalrational►People and relationships are not People and relationships are not

identical or interchangeableidentical or interchangeable

Primary groupsPrimary groups

►People care most deeply about their People care most deeply about their primary groupsprimary groups Intimate and reciprocalIntimate and reciprocal Mostly face-to-faceMostly face-to-face SmallSmall

►Secondary groups, institutions etc. are Secondary groups, institutions etc. are not as centralnot as central

► Internet has expanded visibility and Internet has expanded visibility and access towards secondary groupsaccess towards secondary groups

Multiple Social RolesMultiple Social Roles

►People occupy multiple social rolesPeople occupy multiple social roles Front-stage / back-stageFront-stage / back-stage Multiple audiencesMultiple audiences Spatial and temporal segregationSpatial and temporal segregation

► Internet has collapsed multiple Internet has collapsed multiple audiences audiences grassroots surveillance grassroots surveillance

Rationality and ChoiceRationality and Choice

►Too many choices confuse and Too many choices confuse and paralyze ... but not providing choices is paralyze ... but not providing choices is also not acceptablealso not acceptable

►Competing interests – withdrawal and Competing interests – withdrawal and disclosuredisclosure

►Networks effects constrict choiceNetworks effects constrict choice► Internet has added an additional layer Internet has added an additional layer

of (confusing) choices to navigate of (confusing) choices to navigate sometimes with no optimal answerssometimes with no optimal answers

People and Relationships VaryPeople and Relationships Vary

► Nothing impacts everyone the same Nothing impacts everyone the same Motives, privilege, social station, etc.Motives, privilege, social station, etc. Reshaping of spaces and flows inevitably Reshaping of spaces and flows inevitably

reassigns power and privilegereassigns power and privilege *I’m* doing fine ... is not an answer*I’m* doing fine ... is not an answer

► Technological competence is uneven – that Technological competence is uneven – that is to be expected and should be acceptedis to be expected and should be accepted

► A link is not always a link is not always a A link is not always a link is not always a link... and the limits of “big data”...link... and the limits of “big data”...

► Design and algorithm often privilige the Design and algorithm often privilige the needs of the few or the average and big needs of the few or the average and big data flattens usdata flattens us

Many clashes center around Many clashes center around privacy and publicity:privacy and publicity:

► Online/Offline architectures very differentOnline/Offline architectures very different Flattening of Space and Stretching of TimeFlattening of Space and Stretching of Time Ephemeral becomes persistentEphemeral becomes persistent ““Practically Hidden” becomes searchablePractically Hidden” becomes searchable Duplication is effortless / costlessDuplication is effortless / costless Random Access (links, nodes, hypertext)Random Access (links, nodes, hypertext) Boundaries, walls, reach are all differentBoundaries, walls, reach are all different

► Plus, these differences aren’t readily visible Plus, these differences aren’t readily visible and harder to account forand harder to account for

► People operate from their socio-mental People operate from their socio-mental models... which clash with the existing models... which clash with the existing architecturearchitecture

Examples of Such Clashes:Examples of Such Clashes:

►Google BuzzGoogle Buzz►(Facebook)(Facebook)77

►AOL search recordsAOL search records►Loss of practical obscurity (Court Loss of practical obscurity (Court

records)records)►Targeted-trackingTargeted-tracking►Negative links confound PageRankNegative links confound PageRank►WikileaksWikileaks► ... Semantic web?... Semantic web?

Prediction of effects is Prediction of effects is complicatedcomplicated

►Printing press ... and the biblePrinting press ... and the bible►Telegraph and railroads ... and war Telegraph and railroads ... and war

and faminesand famines► Information wants to be free ... and Information wants to be free ... and

journalismjournalism

Private / Public ImplosionPrivate / Public Implosion

►Historically:Historically: Private is intimate and less Private is intimate and less

(in)visible(in)visible Private is ephemeralPrivate is ephemeral Public is civic and visiblePublic is civic and visible Public is persistentPublic is persistent

Private / Public ImplosionPrivate / Public Implosion

►CurrentlyCurrently Private is persistent Private is persistent Private is visiblePrivate is visible Public is no longer dominated by the Public is no longer dominated by the

civiccivic Public can be intimatePublic can be intimate The old divisions no longer apply ... The old divisions no longer apply ...

While new norms are arising, the While new norms are arising, the confusion is realconfusion is real

Some results from my Some results from my researchresearch

► Disclosure does not necessarily follow level Disclosure does not necessarily follow level of privacy concernsof privacy concerns Competing motivations with no optimal solutionCompeting motivations with no optimal solution

► Social grooming is the key use for most Social grooming is the key use for most Internet platformsInternet platforms It’s not that the Internet encourages the It’s not that the Internet encourages the

mundane and the trivial, it just makes it visiblemundane and the trivial, it just makes it visible► Online sociality ... may result in exclusion Online sociality ... may result in exclusion

from social flows for some peoplefrom social flows for some people Network level effects differ from individual Network level effects differ from individual

effectseffects

Some results from my Some results from my researchresearch

► Pyscho-social effects may create new layers of Pyscho-social effects may create new layers of inequity and disadvantageinequity and disadvantage CyberasocialityCyberasociality SupersocialSupersocial

► Carry-over effects:Most groups tend to do on the Carry-over effects:Most groups tend to do on the Internet that which they tended to do offlineInternet that which they tended to do offline Among middle-school students, for example, girls Among middle-school students, for example, girls

more likely to socialize, boys to play games, gifted more likely to socialize, boys to play games, gifted kids and kids with higher Socio Economic Status to kids and kids with higher Socio Economic Status to look up information, African-American kids more likely look up information, African-American kids more likely to watch TV and videoto watch TV and video

Lower-income kids use the computer Lower-income kids use the computer moremore that that higher-income kids ... and more to play games and higher-income kids ... and more to play games and watch videos – and this is associated with lower watch videos – and this is associated with lower grades!grades!

ConclusionConclusion

► Design must take pyscho-social realities into Design must take pyscho-social realities into considerationconsideration

► Design must consider the full-range of users, Design must consider the full-range of users, not just the most privilegednot just the most privileged

► Big data and algorithmic approaches have Big data and algorithmic approaches have limitations and hidden assumptionslimitations and hidden assumptions

► However, algorithmic support will likely be However, algorithmic support will likely be key to reducing the burden of choicekey to reducing the burden of choice

► Effects are hard to predict –start small, Effects are hard to predict –start small, proceed cautiosly with an open mind (and proceed cautiosly with an open mind (and eyes and ears)!eyes and ears)!

Thank you! Questions?Thank you! Questions?

Zeynep TufekciZeynep Tufekci

zeynep@umbc.eduzeynep@umbc.edu@techsoc@techsoc

www.technosociology.orgwww.technosociology.org