Privacy versus Security – scenarios over Smart Societies

Abstract

Some of the most important inventions of the last century are the computer, the Internet and, not least, the mobile phone. These have completely changed the world we live in. Understanding their ability to collect data and information about anyone and everyone, they proved to be the perfect tools for mass surveillance. Often the media presents articles written as a result of data leaks within public
institutions or private companies, data that has the power to alter the safety of citizens. This article intends to present some of the most notorious examples found on the media that support the above statement. Moreover, if we are to look back at George Orwell's predictions about surveillance, we realize that he was an optimist. Today we are witnessing the pursuit of the individual on a much larger scale than Orwell could have imagined. We will first begin by presenting the Edward Snowden case, former CIA employee and government contractor for Booz Allen Hamilton, who publicly disclosed information about mass surveillance, and, based on this and few other similar cases, we want to raise awareness regarding the very unstable equilibrium between security and privacy in the new era of smart states and communities. The article is presented as an essay.