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Solove, Daniel J. (2025) On Privacy and Technology (ISBN: 9780197771686), Oxford University Press, 136 pages.
In “On Privacy and Technology”, Prof. Solove distils years of rigorous academic research into an accessible analysis that cuts through the noise surrounding privacy debates with surgical precision. What makes this work particularly compelling is Solove’s unflinching exposure of uncomfortable truths: the consent model is fundamentally flawed, self-regulation has failed and cannot succeed, and current privacy frameworks place impossible burdens on individuals while granting companies virtual impunity. Solove systematically dismantles the myths surrounding technology, such as the idea that it is neutral, that it democratizes power and that market forces will self-correct. He reveals how ‘technology rarely equalizes power. Most often, it further empowers the powerful.’ His central argument is devastatingly simple yet profound: we have been asking the wrong questions. Instead of debating whether the law should intervene in technology (it already does), we must determine how to regulate human behavior and corporate power, rather than technical specifications. The book demonstrates that today’s surveillance capitalism does not operate through Orwellian coercion, but rather through engaging interfaces that mask relentless data extraction. In this system, ‘having obtained consent, an organization today can do nearly anything it wants with a person’s data, no matter how bad the consequences might be for the person.’ Solove compellingly argues that meaningful regulation does not stifle innovation, but rather ‘protects companies that innovate thoughtfully and responsibly by preventing those that do not from having an unfair advantage.’ For those navigating the complexities of data protection, this work provides both an intellectual framework and practical ammunition: accountability works; enforcement must be properly funded; and ‘the best thing people could do is to demand that policymakers do something meaningful.’
By Olivier Crochat
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