Privacy and the Internet

The paper begins with, an outline of the general notion of privacy, including the relationship between privacy and individual autonomy. It is argued that the notion that privacy is an absolute right that cannot be overridden under any circumstances is unsustainable, whether it be privacy on the Internet or on any other communication or information system. In relation to accessing of data and/or intercepting of communications on the Internet by law enforcement agencies a balance has to be struck between rights to privacy and confidentiality on the one hand, and the rights to protection from serious crime on the other. Moreover, the state of technology at any point in time to some extent determines the possibility of striking a balance. For example, the current availability to the general public of very secure computer systems and of high level encryption products makes accessing of data and/or intercepting of communications on the Internet by law enforcement agencies extremely difficult and expensive. At any rate in striking this balance a number of principles need to be kept in mind. The paper goes on to detail these principles and how they should be applied in relation to the Internet.