個案總覽

Based on their use of a shared computer and the Internet ads that keep popping up, two co-workers suspect that another co-worker is HIV-positive or has AIDS. Using this story platform, the case explores Internet marketing, especially the powerhouse search engine Google and how it tracks its users' habits. The history of Google is chronicled, as well as the privacy issues that have mushroomed as the Internet and its technology have developed.

This technical note begins with the resolution of the "Google and Internet Privacy" case (UV1354) (disturbed by the office reaction to him, Charlie resigns), and then discusses the privacy issues the case addresses. Although "personal privacy" is a difficult concept to define, academics and social commentators continue to struggle with that definition as well as the value of "personal privacy." For an individual, privacy is a significant factor in determining one's autonomy and independence. This technical note discusses the concept of personal privacy from a Utilitarian and a Kantian perspective.