隐私即权力

By Carissa Véliz

Imagine having a master key for your life. A key or password that gives access to the front door to your home， your bedroom， your diary， your computer， your phone， your car， your safe deposit. Would you go around making copies of that key and giving them out to strangers？ Probably not the wisest idea—it would be only a matter of time before someone abused it， right？ So why are you willing to give up your personal data to pretty much anyone who asks for it？

Privacy is the key that unlocks the aspects of yourself that are most intimate and personal， that make you most you， and most vulnerable. Your past， present and possible future diseases. Your fears， your losses， your failures. The worst thing you have ever done， said and thought. Your inadequacies， your mistakes， your traumas. The moment in which you have felt most ashamed. Your most drunken night.

When you give that key， your privacy， to someone who loves you， it will allow you to enjoy closeness， and they will use it to benefit you. Part of what it means to be close to someone is sharing what makes you vulnerable and trusting that person never to take advantage of the privileged position granted by intimacy. People who love you might use your date of birth to organise a surprise birthday party for you；theyll make a note of your tastes to find you the perfect gift； theyll take into account your darkest fears to keep you safe from the things that scare you. Not everyone will use access to your personal life in your interest， however. Fraudsters might use your date of birth to impersonate you while they commit a crime；1 companies might use your tastes to lure you into a bad deal； enemies might use your darkest fears to threaten and extort you. People who dont have your best interest at heart will exploit your data to further their own agenda. Privacy matters because the lack of it gives others power over you.

如今在手機上随意打开一款应用程序，我们都被要求允许程序获取我们的个人信息。为了贪图方便，我们不假思索地给予了这些程序访问权限，并且坚信自己的隐私并不值钱。可是，事实真的如此吗？在数据时代，隐私究竟意味着什么？我们又应该如何保护自己的隐私不被滥用呢？

You might think your privacy is safe because you are a nobody—nothing special， interesting or important to see here. Dont shortchange yourself. You have your attention， your presence of mind—everyone is fighting for it. They want to know more about you so they can know how best to distract you， even if that means luring you away from quality time with your loved ones or basic human needs such as sleep. You have money， even if it is not a lot—companies want you to spend your money on them. Hackers are eager to get hold of sensitive information or images so they can blackmail you. You can probably work； businesses want to know everything about whom they are hiring—including whether you might be someone who will want to fight for your rights. You have an identity—criminals can use it to commit crimes in your name and let you pay for the bill. You have personal connections. You are a node in a network. You are someones offspring， someones neighbour， someones teacher or lawyer. Through you， they can get to other people. Thats why apps ask you for access to your contacts. You have a voice—all sorts of agents would like to use you as their mouthpiece2 on social media and beyond.

As you can see， you are a very important person. You are a source of power.

By now， most people are aware that their data is worth money. But your data is not valuable only because it can be sold. Facebook does not technically sell your data， for instance. Nor does Google. They sell the power to influence you. They sell the power to show you ads， and the power to predict your behaviour. Google and Facebook are not really in the business of data—they are in the business of power. Even more than monetary gain， personal data bestows power on those who collect and analyse it， and that is what makes it so coveted3.

There are different types of power： economic， political and so on. But power can be thought of as being like energy： it can take many different forms， and these can change. A wealthy company can often use its money to influence politics through lobbying， for instance， or to shape public opinion through paying for ads.

That tech giants such as Facebook and Google are powerful is hardly news. But exploring the relationship between privacy and power can help us to better understand how institutions amass， wield and transform power in the digital age， which in turn can give us tools and ideas to resist the kind of domination that survives on violations of the right to privacy. First we have to look at the relationship between power， knowledge and privacy.

There is a tight connection between knowledge and power. At the very least， knowledge is an instrument of power. The French philosopher Michel Foucault4 argues that knowledge in itself is a form of power. There is power in knowing. By protecting our privacy， we prevent others from being empowered with knowledge about us that can be used against our interests.

The more that someone knows about us， the more they can anticipate our every move， as well as influence us. One of the most important contributions of Foucault to our understanding of power is the insight that power does not only act upon human beings—it constructs human subjects. Power generates certain mentalities， it transforms sensitivities， it brings about ways of being in the world. In that vein， the British political theorist Steven Lukes argues in his book Power （1974） that power can bring about a system that produces wants in people that work against their own interests. Peoples desires can themselves be a result of power， and the more invisible the means of power， the more powerful they are. An example of power shaping preferences today includes when tech uses research about how dopamine5 works to make you addicted to an app.

The power that comes about as a result of knowing personal details about someone is a very particular kind of power. Like economic power and political power， privacy power is a distinct type of power， but it also allows those who hold it the possibility of transforming it into economic， political and other kinds of power. Power over others privacy is the quintessential6 kind of power in the digital age.

Its not all bad news， though. Yes， institutions in the digital age have hoarded7 privacy power， but we can reclaim the data that sustains it， and we can limit their collecting new data. Refraining from using tech altogether is unrealistic for most people， but there is much more you can do short of that. Respect other peoples privacy. Dont expose ordinary citizens online. Dont film or photograph people without their consent， and certainly dont share such images online. Try to limit the data you surrender to institutions that dont have a claim to it. Imagine someone asks for your number in a party， what would you do？ Perhaps you would be tempted to give them a fake number.

When downloading apps and buying products， choose products that are better for privacy. Use privacy extensions on your browsers. Turn your phones Wi-Fi， Bluetooth and locations services off when you dont need them. Use the legal tools at your disposal to ask companies for the data they have on you， and ask them to delete that data. Change your settings to protect your privacy. Refrain from using one of those DNA home testing kits—they are not worth it. Forget about“smart” doorbells that violate your privacy and that of others.

Dont make the mistake of thinking you are safe from privacy harms， maybe because you are young， optimistic and healthy. You might think that your data can work only for you， and never against you， if youve been lucky so far. But you might not be as healthy as you think you are， and you will not be young forever. Privacy is important because it gives power to the people. Protect it.

想象一下你有一把自己生活的萬能钥匙。这把钥匙或是这串密码可以打开你家的前门、你的卧室、日记、计算机、电话、汽车、保险箱。你会到处制作备用钥匙并分发给陌生人吗？可能这不太明智——迟早会有人滥用它，对吗？那么，为什么你却愿意将你的个人数据提供给几乎任何管你要的人呢？

隐私是开启你最私密的那些方面的钥匙，这些方面让你成为你自己，也让你最为脆弱。你过去、现在和将来可能罹患的疾病；你的恐惧、损失和失败；你做过的、说过的、想过的最糟糕的事情；你的不足、你犯下的错、你受过的伤；你感到最羞愧的时刻；你醉到不省人事的那一晚。

当你将这把钥匙（即你的隐私）交给爱你的人时，这会让你享受亲近，他们会用这把钥匙来使你受益。从某种程度上来说，与某人亲近即意味着与其分享让你脆弱的事情，并且相信这个人绝不会利用亲密关系所带来的特权加害你。爱你的人也许会用你的生日来为你组织一场惊喜生日派对；他们会记住你的品味来为你准备最棒的礼物；他们会考虑你内心最深处的恐惧来使你免受惊吓。但是，并非所有能够接触你个人生活信息的人都是为你好：骗子在犯罪时可能会利用你的生日来冒充你；公司可能会利用你的品味诱使你进行不当交易；敌人可能会利用你内心最深处的恐惧来威胁和勒索你。并非真心为你好的人会利用你的数据来达成自己的目的。隐私很重要，因为缺乏隐私会赋予他人压过你的权力。

你可能会认为自己的隐私是安全的，因为你并不是什么名人——你没什么特别的、有趣的或是重要的事情可以让人看。别看轻自己啦。你有注意力，有思想的存在——人人都在争夺它。他们想尽可能多地了解你，以便知道如何最好地分散你的注意力，即使这意味着将你从与亲人相处的美好时光或是如睡眠等基本的人类需求中引诱开。你有钱，也许钱不算多——公司也希望你能将钱花在它们身上。黑客渴望掌握敏感信息或图像，这样他们就可以勒索你。你可能在工作；企业想掌握雇员的一切信息，包括你是否可能会为自己的权利而战。你拥有一个身份——犯罪分子可以用你的名义犯罪，并让你买单。你有个人关系。你是网络中的节点。你是某人的后代、邻居、老师或律师。通过你，他们可以联系到其他人。这就是为什么应用程序会要求访问你的联系人。你有自己的声音——各种机构都希望利用你来作为他们在社交媒体以及更广泛领域的喉舌。

如你所见，你是一个非常重要的人。你是权力的来源。

到目前为止，大多数人都意识到了自己的数据值钱。但是，你的数据之所以值钱，并不仅仅是因为它可以出售。例如，Facebook从技术上讲不会出售你的数据。Google也不会。他们出售的是影响你的力量。他们出售向你展示广告的权力，以及预测你行为的权力。Google和Facebook真正做的并非数据的生意，而是权力的生意。除了金钱方面的收益，个人数据还可以赋予收集和分析数据的人权力，这就是为什么个人数据会如此令人垂涎。

权力有不同的类型：经济、政治等等。但是权力可以被想成像能量那样：它能够以多种不同的形式呈现，而且这些形式可以改变。比如，一家有钱的公司经常可以花钱通过游说来影响政治，或是通过购买广告来引导公众舆论。

像Facebook和Google这样的科技巨头有着很大权力并不是什么新鲜事儿。但是，探索隐私与权力之间的关系可以帮助我们更好地理解在数字时代，机构如何积累、运用和转化权力，而这反过来又可以为我们提供工具和办法来抵抗通过侵犯隐私权获得的那种统治关系。首先，我们必须看看权力、知识和隐私之间的关系。

知识与权力之间有着紧密的联系。至少，知识是权力的一种工具。法国哲学家米歇尔·福柯认为，知识本身就是一种权力。具备知识就包含了权力。通过保护自己的隐私，我们就可以防止他人获得可以用于损害我们利益的知识。

他人对我们的了解越多，他们就越能预测我们的一举一动并影响我们。福柯为我们对权力的理解作出的最重要的贡献之一，就是让我们明白权力不仅作用于人，而且构建了人的主体。权力催生某些心态，转化敏感性，为这个世界带来某些存在方式。同样，英国政治理论家史蒂文·卢克斯在他的著作《权力》（1974）中指出，权力可以带来一种制度，这种制度会使人们产生有损自己利益的需求。人的欲望本身就可以是权力的结果，而权力的手段越不明显，权力就越强大。一个权力如何影响当下人们偏好的例子就是技术公司利用多巴胺如何起作用的研究使你沉迷于某个应用程序。

由于了解某人的个人信息而产生的权力是一种非常特殊的权力。像经济权力和政治权力一样，隐私权力是一种独特的权力，但它也使得拥有者有可能将其转化为经济、政治和其他类型的权力。掌控他人隐私的权力是数字时代最典型的权力。

但是，也不全是坏消息。是的，数字时代的机构已经囤积了隐私的权力，但是我们可以收回维持这种权力的数据，并且可以限制他们收集新数据。对于大多数人来说，完全不使用技术是不现实的，但是除此之外你还有更多事情可以做。尊重他人的隐私。不要在网上晒普通民众。未經他人许可不要对其摄影或拍照，当然也不要在网上分享这类图像。尝试限制提供数据给无权获取数据的机构。想象有人在聚会中问你要电话号码，你会怎么做？也许你会给他们一个假的吧。

下载应用程序和购买产品时，选择更尊重隐私的产品。在浏览器上使用隐私扩展程序。不用时关闭手机的Wi-Fi、蓝牙和定位服务。利用可供使用的法律工具向公司索取他们掌握的关于你的数据，并要求他们删除该数据。更改设置以保护隐私。不要使用DNA家庭检测试剂盒——压根不值得。丢掉侵犯你和他人隐私的“智能”门铃。

别误以为自己可以免受隐私泄露带来的伤害，也许因为你还年轻、乐观和健康。如果到目前为止你还比较幸运，你可能会以为自己的数据只会为你服务，而不会对你不利。但是你可能没有你想象的那样健康，并且你也不会永远年轻。隐私很重要，因为它赋予人权力。保护隐私吧。

1. fraudster： 骗子，诈骗犯；impersonate： 冒充。

2. mouthpiece： 喉舌，代言人。

3. covet： 觊觎。

4. Michel Foucault： 米歇尔·福柯（1926—1984），法国哲学家、社会思想家和“思想系统的历史学家”。他对文学评论及其理论、哲学（尤其在法语国家中）、批评理论、历史学、科学史（尤其医学史）、批评教育学和知识社会学有很大的影响。他的代表作品包括《疯癫与文明》《规训与惩罚》《临床医学的诞生》《知识考古学》《词与物》等。

5. dopamine： 多巴胺，一种神经传导物质，用来帮助细胞传送脉冲的化学物质。这种脑内分泌物和人的情欲、感觉有关，它传递兴奋及开心的信息。另外，多巴胺也与各种上瘾行为有关。

6. quintessential： 典型的，精髓的。

7. hoard： 囤积。