Interview: Privacy & Technology

18/9/07: Technology neutrality was past its use-by date, Stephen Wilson told The Australian newspaper today.

Stephen was interviewed by The Australian in his capacity as Co-chair of AEEMA's Smartcards & Information Security Australia (SISA) on privacy and technology.

See "ID theft brings tech to law"
The Australian IT Section
Karen Dearne
September 18, 2007
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22435327-15306,00.html

Quotes

"To date, ministers and bureaucrats have avoided getting into the risky area of picking winners in technology".

"This is why we've traditionally had a light-touch regime, but the things we're grappling with now around privacy, identity theft and cybercrime are so difficult we're going to have to take a greater interest in technology".

"That means someone needs to be acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of different and competing technologies. We're seeing a change of climate around that."

'The concept of technology neutrality - which meant legislation was drafted to apply to the handling of information in any context - was past its use-by date'.

"[Technology neutrality] is a good legal philosophy, but when it comes down to codes of practice and standards for government and banking services, indifference to the technology at the coalface is really dangerous".