The Future of Privacy

This report is a look into the future of privacy in light of the technological change, ever-growing monetization of digital encounters, and shifting relationship of citizens and their governments that is likely to extend through the next decade. To explore the future of privacy, we canvassed thousands of experts and Internet builders to share their predictions. Some 55 percent of these respondents said “no” they do not believe that an accepted privacy-rights regime and infrastructure would be created in the coming decade, while 45 percent said “yes” that such an infrastructure would be created by 2025. Common thoughts included: Privacy and security are foundational issues of the digital world, people are living in an unprecedented condition of ubiquitous surveillance, people require little more inducement than personal convenience to disclose their personal information, norms are always evolving, privacy will certainly change in coming years, an arms race dynamic is unfolding, and that renegotiation and compromise will be a constant in privacy-security policy space.