"This book discusses how, with its non-participatory enforcement ethos, its inherent bias against freedom of information, and its massive claims on IT budget resources, the information technology security system of the future may be even less hospitable to the democratic visions which some theorists once anticipated would be among the most important contributions of information technology to society"--Provided by publisher.
Expressing concern that the USA PATRIOT Act was "one of the greatest assaults on personal privacy ever launched upon the citizens of our nation," the editors (both of the North Carolina State U.) present ten papers exploring issues of information, technology, and democracy in the post 9-11 era. Papers discuss the dismantling of public information systems in response to perceived threats, "war on terror" limitations imposed upon the Freedom of Information Act, the impact of the PATRIOT Act on librarians and their patrons, online political resistance to government Internet surveillance, current uses of RFID technology in the public sector, and the arguments for and against the establishment of a national identification card. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Database technology can be used for various ends, ranging from promotion of democracy to strengthening of nationalism to shoring up authoritarian regimes through misinformation. Its use affects ever layer of society: from individuals to households to local governments, and is a consuming issue in US government's stance on privacy, security, and technology. Patriotic Information Systems discusses how, with its non-participatory enforcement ethos, its inherent bias against freedom of information, and its massive claims on IT budget resources, the information technology security system of the future may be even less hospitable to the democratic visions which some theorists once anticipated would be among the most important contributions of information technology to society.
