The Center for Democracy and Technology and Internet Privacy in the U.S.

Book excerpt: The Internet has become a necessary component of our personal and professional lives, but because the Internet has redefined the boundaries of communication, it has also put our confidential information at risk. The growing concern with online privacy has caused many Internet users to question the security of their Internet transactions. This book answers these questions through an examination of the Center for Democracy and Technology, an organization that advocates for privacy. Li's book introduces the many issues in online privacy and discusses legal ownership of personal data, specifically one's name, address, telephone number, and email. Her in-depth research of the issues confronted by the Center for Democracy and Technology over a five-year period documents its mission and demonstrates its achievements in the crusade to maintain privacy. As we find ourselves using the Internet for more and more transactions, both personal and professional, we must be aware of our privacy rights and the activities of the organizations that fight to protect them-thus, the information in Li's book makes it a necessary reference for all public and university libraries and a useful resource for courses in information technology. Internet Privacy serves as an introduction to the issues of online privacy in the United States and examines what one advocacy group is doing to protect privacy in cyberspace.