Carissa Véliz


Privacy Is Power



An Economist Book of the Year


'No one explains the issues and opportunities in privacy better than Carissa Véliz. Her book, Privacy Is Power, is brilliant.'


- Roger McNamee , author of Zucked



‘An essential guide to one of the most pressing modern issues’


- Hannah Fry, author of Hello World, Associate Professor in Mathematics at University College London


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‘A forceful call for us to tame the data economy by reclaiming our privacy ... and our power.’



- Jonathan Zittrain, author of The Future of the Internet, George Bemis Professor of International Law at Harvard Law School.



‘We didn’t see digital surveillance coming, but today it’s threatening democracy and basic freedoms. If you want to understand why privacy matters more than ever before, and how we can preserve it in an age of data grabbing, read this book.’



- Nigel Warburton, author of A Little History of Philosophy.



‘How much does it matter that every day we unwittingly hand over more and more of our personal data to internet giants? In this smart, stylishly written, and alarming volume Carissa Véliz argues that it matters a great deal and that we don’t have to put up with it. Essential reading for those of us who click “agree” ten times a day.’



- Jonathan Wolff, Alfred Landecker professor of values and public policy at the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government, Guardian columnist



'In this bold, original, and engaging book, Carissa Véliz makes a compelling case for the revolutionary goal of reclaiming privacy from the grip of a destructive data economy. While many have lamented the ills of surveillance capitalism, Véliz’s courageous manifesto paves a clear path for regaining power--taking back our ill-gotten information from tech companies and data brokers and reinvigorating democracy in the process.'



- Evan Selinger, Professor of Philosophy, Rochester Institute of Technology



'"You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it", Scott McNealy once said to reporters. This book is a thoughtful response to the claim of Sun Microsystem’s co-founder. It shows that we still have privacy to lose and why we should protect privacy for ourselves and for others. Engagingly written, clear and admirably brief, Véliz shows how we ended up with societies built around the buying and selling of personal data; why this is bad personally and politically; and what we can do to change things. A fantastic little book.



- Annabelle Lever, Professor at SciencesPo in Paris



As surveillance creeps into every corner of our lives, Carissa Véliz exposes how our personal data is giving too much power to big tech and governments, why that matters, and what we can do about it.


Have you ever been denied insurance, a loan, or a job? Have you had your credit card number stolen? Do you have to wait too long when you call customer service? Have you paid more for a product than one of your friends? Have you been harassed online? Have you noticed politics becoming more divisive in your country? You might have the data economy to thank for all that and more.


Without your permission, or even your awareness, tech companies are harvesting your location, your likes, your habits, your relationships, your fears, your medical issues, and sharing it amongst themselves, as well as with governments and a multitude of data vultures. They're not just selling your data. They’re selling the power to influence you and decide for you. Even when you’ve explicitly asked them not to. And it's not just you. It's all your contacts too, all your fellow citizens. Privacy is as collective as it is personal.


Digital technology is stealing our personal data and with it our power to make free choices. To reclaim that power, and our democracy, we must take back control of our personal data. Surveillance is undermining equality. We are being treated differently on the basis of our data.


What can we do? The stakes are high. We need to understand the power of data better. We need to start protecting our privacy. And we need regulation. We need to pressure our representatives. It is time to pull the plug on the surveillance economy.


Insightful, terrifying, practical: Privacy Is Power highlights the implications of our laid-back attitude to data and sets out how we can take back control.


Privacy Is Power provides a philosophical perspective on the politics of privacy, as well as very practical solutions, both for policymakers and ordinary citizens.



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