GP essay question guide
Is privacy still possible today?
Define privacy as control over your own information, then show how that control has been lost and how it can be partly regained through law and design.
Unpack this question first: 'Privacy' is the concept to unpack: control over your information, your image or your space? 'Still' and 'today' ask what has changed, such as phones, cameras and data collection. Lesson: Abstract and values questions
Use this question in writing - Sign in, check the question, then write your response.
Topics: Science and Technology, Politics and Governance, Society and Culture
Three argument directions
Data is collected by default
Phones, apps and cameras record where people go and what they buy.
Qualification: Some people choose convenience knowingly.
Individuals cannot protect it alone
Breaches at trusted organisations expose even careful people.
Qualification: Simple habits still reduce some risks.
Law and design can restore some control
Data-protection laws give people rights and fine misuse.
Qualification: Enforcement across borders is weak.
A model paragraph
Our own paragraph for this question. Copy its moves, not its words.
Privacy is still possible, but no longer by default; it now has to be protected by law and design, because people cannot guard it alone. Each time someone uses a phone, apps and websites collect data about where they go and what they buy, often under terms few people read. Even a careful person cannot avoid cameras in public places or breaches at organisations they trust. The 2018 cyberattack on SingHealth showed this when the personal data of about 1.5 million patients was stolen. Laws such as Europe's General Data Protection Regulation give people the right to see and delete their data and fine companies that misuse it. Privacy now depends less on what each person hides and more on what rules force organisations to protect.
How it is built
- Definition: privacy as control over information.
- Case: the SingHealth breach shows personal care is not enough.
- Judgement: privacy depends on rules such as the GDPR.
Six examples to compare
AI Sees All: Is Your Data Safe?
Explores how Big Data and AI erode personal privacy, fueling concerns about corporate and state surveillance. What are the safeguards?
Possible essay use
On 3 September 2024 the Dutch Data Protection Authority fined Clearview AI EUR 30.5 million for building an illegal database of faces scraped without consent.
Limitation
A fine shows a regulator's judgement, not whether it can be collected; Clearview disputes EU jurisdiction, so the case also shows the limits of national privacy law against foreign firms.
Case or source date: 2024-09-03
Source: Hunton Andrews Kurth (Privacy and Cybersecurity Law Blog)
Watching Eyes: Face Tech's Double Edge
Facial recognition offers enhanced security but poses serious privacy threats and bias risks, seen in global applications.
Possible essay use
In a December 2017 BBC test in Guiyang, police using China's camera network found a registered reporter in seven minutes.
Limitation
The BBC test was staged with police cooperation and a pre-registered photo, so it shows capability under ideal conditions; Chinese authorities deny targeting Uyghurs.
Case or source date: 2019-04-14
Source: TechCrunch
EU's GDPR: More Control Over Your Data
The EU's GDPR gives people more power over their personal data. It makes companies strictly responsible for how they handle this information, setting global standards.
Possible essay use
The GDPR, applying since 25 May 2018, allows fines of up to EUR 20 million or 4% of global annual turnover, whichever is higher.
Limitation
Large fines are often appealed and enforcement is slow, especially in Ireland where many tech firms are based, so the size of a fine overstates how quickly behaviour changes.
Case or source date: 2018-05-25
Source: EUR-Lex
Encryption Backdoors: Security vs Privacy Clash
Governments demand tech 'backdoors' for security, clashing with user privacy and data protection. A key modern dilemma.
Possible essay use
In February 2016 Apple publicly refused a court order to create software to unlock the San Bernardino attacker's iPhone, arguing it would endanger all users.
Limitation
The case ended without a court ruling, so it settled nothing in law; the dispute between governments and tech firms over encrypted devices continues.
Case or source date: 2016-02-16
Source: Spectrum News NY1
SingHealth Hack: Data Breach Lessons
Singapore's SingHealth cyber attack stole 1.5 million patient records, revealing critical data security gaps (2018).
Possible essay use
In July 2018 hackers copied the personal details of about 1.5 million SingHealth patients, including then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Limitation
The government did not publicly name the attackers, so describing them as a particular state's agents goes beyond the official record.
Case or source date: 2018-07-20
Source: Ministry of Health, Singapore
TikTok: Fun App or Security Risk?
TikTok's global rise sparks data privacy and national security fears due to its Chinese ownership.
Possible essay use
India banned TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps on 29 June 2020, citing sovereignty and security.
Limitation
No public evidence has shown that the Chinese government accessed US TikTok users' data or directed its content; the concern is about what Chinese law could require, which is a risk judgement.
Case or source date: 2025-01-17
Source: TechCrunch