Stay Curious

SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AND UNLOCK ONE MORE ARTICLE FOR FREE.

Sign Up

VIEW OUR Privacy Policy


Discover Magazine Logo

WANT MORE? KEEP READING FOR AS LOW AS $1.99!

Subscribe

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

FIND MY SUBSCRIPTION
Advertisement

The naked years: the end of privacy

Explore the implications of a transparent society, where genetic code privacy impacts disease risk understanding and family histories.

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

I do talk periodically on this weblog about the coming 'transparent society.' The main reason I bring up the issue is that I think it is probably inevitable, and, I think we're sliding toward it without even reflecting on it too much. Many people are very surprised at how little time it takes to find information on them in Spokeo and Pipl. Curious about where someone you lost touch with from high school has lived? Go to Intelius. Rereading David Brin's original 1996 essay introducing the idea in Wired I'm struck by the fixation on old-fashioned cameras. To me, what people do is almost less interesting than what they've done. How much did they buy their house for? Where did they go to university? Did they graduate? Who did they marry? Interestingly, much of this information is offered up freely by the individuals themselves.And yet what about our genetic code? ...

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe
Advertisement

0 Free Articles