The Right Of Privacy, By Richard Posner - 1460 Words

In â€Å"The Right of Privacy,† Richard Posner argues that, â€Å"the law should in general accord private business information greater protection than it accords personal information. Secrecy is an important method of appropriating social benefits to the entrepreneur who creates them while in private life it is more likely to conceal discreditable facts† (Posner 404). However, his argument is flawed, because it denigrates individuals, diminishing the value of their privacy in order to place the corporate world above their needs and rights. Posner’s claim rests on his economic analysis, which holds that a business has greater potential for economic efficiency than an individual if its information is kept private. And it is crucial to this analysis†¦show more content†¦Posner cites the example of the Bureau of the Census, which does not have to buy the data it collects from firms or households; the cost to the individual disclosing this information is rel atively small, because the government takes necessary precautions to protect those whom it surveys from creditors and tax collectors, among others. Posner recognizes that â€Å"some private information that people desire to conceal is not discreditable,† and grants them privacy in such cases, but still believes that people â€Å"want to manipulate the world around them by selective disclosure of facts about themselves† (400). Here is where the distinction between intermediate and final goods is especially important, because it is presupposed that people use privacy for a greater purpose. Because people may attempt to misrepresent themselves to get ahead, protecting individual privacy rights can be economically inefficient. He goes so far as to say that â€Å"the economic case for according legal protection to [personal information] is no better than that for permitting fraud in the sale of goods† (401). Posner points out, however, that many conversations should be kept private, for to make them public would also lead to less effective communication, since certain formalities are expectedShow MoreRelatedPrivacy, Surveillance, And Law Essay1684 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough scholars have provided several accounts of the importance of privacy, it still remains unclear how individuals view and value it. For the purposes of this essay, privacy is broadly defined as the controlled access to personal information or ideas. In this paper, I will examine Richard Posner’s article â€Å"Privacy, Surveillance, and Law† and Neil Richards’s paper â€Å"The Dangers of Surveillance.† Although both Posner and Richards begin with the same assumption that people fear public scrutiny, theirRead MoreThe Ethics Of Commercial Privacy1654 Words   |  7 Pagesof Commercial Privacy In â€Å"The Right of Privacy,† Richard Posner argues that, â€Å"the law should in general accord private business information greater protection than it accords personal information. Secrecy is an important method of appropriating social benefits to the entrepreneur who creates them while in private life it is more likely to conceal discreditable facts† (404). However, his argument is flawed, because it dehumanizes individuals, disregarding the value of their privacy in order to placeRead MorePrivacy, Secrecy, And Reputation1097 Words   |  5 Pagessome people argue that privacy no longer exists. 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