Raymond Morel 3593 days ago
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SurPRISE re-examines the relationship between security and privacy, which is commonly positioned as a ‘trade-off’. Where security measures and technologies involve the collection of information about citizens, questions arise as to whether and to what extent their privacy has been infringed. This infringement of individual privacy is sometimes seen as an acceptable cost of enhanced security. Similarly, it is assumed that citizens are willing to trade off their privacy for enhanced personal security in different settings. This common understanding of the security-privacy relationship, both at state and citizen level, has informed policymakers, legislative developments and best practice guidelines concerning security developments across the EU.
However, an emergent body of work questions the validity of the security-privacy trade-off. This work suggests that it has over-simplified how the impact of security measures on citizens is considered in current security policies and practices. Thus, the more complex issues underlying privacy concerns and public skepticism towards surveillance-oriented security technologies may not be apparent to legal and technological experts. In response to these developments, this project will consult with citizens from several EU member and associated states on the question of the security-privacy trade-off as they evaluate different security technologies and measures.
Throughout Europe there is an increased presence of security technologies and procedures in the everyday lives of Europeans. Politicians and decision-makers seem to assume that citizens want increased security at any cost and are prepared to sacrifice their personal privacy to achieve it. SurPRISE will not only examine the idea that citizens seem to be willing to trade-off their privacy for enhanced security, but will also discuss the extent to which privacy infringing surveillance measures and technologies really increase security. The project will explore alternatives where security can be achieved without compromising fundamental rights.
Decision makers and technological security experts have tended to disregard privacy and human rights concerns in the context of surveillance oriented security measures. These proposed solutions derive from similar sets of technologies, ignoring diverging national understandings and political traditions. So far decisions on matters concerning security and privacy have left essential questions unanswered: What is an acceptable security technology in Europe, what is not and why? How do European citizens view the relationship between security and privacy? How do citizens from different European nations diverge in their views about security and privacy?