Reference no: EM131710596

Question: Initially, privacy concerns involving computer technology arose because citizens feared that a strong centralized government could easily collect and store data about them. In the 1960s, for example, there was talk of constructing a national computerized database in the United States, and many were concerned that George Orwell's prediction of Big Brother in his classic book 1984 had finally arrived. The centralized database, however, never materialized. Prior to September 11, 2001, some privacy advocates suggested that we have fewer reasons to be concerned about the federal government's role in privacy intrusions (Big Brother) than we do about privacy threats from the commercial sector (Big Bucks and Big Browser). Is that assessment still accurate? Defend your answer.