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Redpath Book Display

Privacy, Surveillance, and Big Data

In the era of Big Data, how much of our lives are truly private and what does this mean for how we lead our lives?  What are our data privacy rights and how is our information being used? This month's book display examines just that, as well as providing resources to check and protect your privacy. Browse videos, movies, ebooks, print books, and more!

Non-Fiction Highlights

Fiction Highlights

More Books and other Resources

Print Book List

Current McGill students, staff, and faculty can check out print books by using our Library Pickup Service. Fill out the request form and wait for your confirmation to visit the library to pick-up your materials! 

eBook Reading List

When reading eBooks there are many different platforms and file types that you may encounter. For more information on reading and downloading e-books check out guide.

 

Browsers 

  • Brave - a browser that doesn't collect or track your data and sell it to other companies
  • Privacy Badger - a browser add-on that automatically learns to block invisible trackers
  • Tor - anonymized, tracker-free browsing

Search Engines

  • DuckDuckGo - an internet search engine that emphasizes protecting searchers' privacy by avoiding personalized search results

Passwords

Messaging

  • Signal - a messaging app geared toward privacy and security with end-to-end encryption
  • Element - a messaging and coordination app with end-to-end encryption

Smartphones

Privacy (2019)

  • Virtually no other subject has gained more attention in recent years than privacy. When is there an example of the violation of privacy? And what does privacy really mean?

Facebookistan (2015)

  • We voluntarily share information on our Facebook walls, and by signing their Terms of Service, we have voluntarily allowed Facebook to use this information for whatever the company finds useful. This film investigates the paradox of a social media that promotes openness, transparency which encourages all of us to share but which as a company, reveals little of itself to the 1.4 billion people who use its services daily. It generates mistrust.Three out of four people think it is impossible to trust companies when it comes to use of their personal data. Transparency and accountability are key parameters when it comes to public trust.

Citizenfour (2015)

  •  With unprecedented access, this behind-the-scenes chronicle follows director Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald's encounters with whistle-blower Edward Snowden in a hotel room in Hong Kong, as he hands over classified documents that provide evidence of mass indiscriminate and illegal invasions of privacy by the NSA.

 

  • TED Talks on Privacy - A collection of TED Talks (and more) on the topic of privacy.
  • Shoshana Zuboff on Surveillance Capitalism (2019) - In this documentary which aired on VPRO, A Dutch public broadcast service, Zuboff, the bestselling author of "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism", reveals how the biggest tech companies deal with our data and tries to answer the question of how me might regain control.
  • Facebookistan (2015) - This documentary investigates the paradox of a social media that promotes openness and transparency and which encourages all of us to share, but which as a company, reveals little of itself to the 1.4 billion people who use its services daily.
  • Citizenfour (2015) - This documentary, directed by Laura Poitras, follows whistle-blower Edward Snowden as he hands over classified documents that provide evidence of mass indiscriminate and illegal invasions of privacy by the NSA

Websites

Articles

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