MAY 16, 2025 THINK ABOUT IT Dealing with intrusiveness We have much more information today about others than they may have about us. The information society promotes an expansion of information and knowledge-related values, and understanding this framework becomes a key element in many situations we face in our daily lives. This process is creating a public sphere where people can search for information as well as express their thinking and participate collaboratively in building theories, questioning their backgrounds, policies and decisions at the constitutional level. Even with efficient privacy rules, at some level we have less privacy today than we had before. The accumulation of available data and the evolution of statistical tools generate greater sociometric (statistics for social sciences) analyses with respect to citizenship, democracy, culture, education and income generation in the context of new information and communication technologies. We are heading toward a pervasive, privacy-intrusive future. When the intrusion is the same to anyone, that makes it fair and democratic. When everybody has equal and free access to of risks online and learn how to best protect themselves and their communities. Cases of privacy breach are lessons in technology and governance. People learn through mistakes. The media can play a huge role for the awareness of privacy issues. The Internet is now a ubiquitous (virPEDRO CAMPOS Groundcover vendor No. 652 all information, one looks after another's actions and together they play the watchdog function. Intrusiveness is the next privacy protection paradigm. There is no need for people to fear intrusiveness; the free flow of information is a good thing and this is what we shall protect. People must take care of their real and virtual actions because they are visible now to everyone. The best we can do is work constantly on our identity building projects (pluralistic perspective) because these icons become essentially who-where-what you are. New learning processes are needed and possible. The future looks bright. This is the moment for people to become aware tual + real) scenario, demanding new forms of standardization processes, legislation on Internet Service Providers to implement deep packet inspection (DPI) technology and to make it available to authorities when needed. Principles of responsibility should apply — social, environmental and cultural. Both developed and developing countries must bear the cost of DPI implementation in a global effort to curb cybercrime. It is mostly a matter of cultural and political choice if this policy would actually harm users’ privacy. The real technical experts and hackers and crackers have many ways to commit cybercrime. Intelligence teams already study these encryption techniques and public good should benefit from these initiatives. Brazil has invested a lot of money in security and privacy issues. The Brazilian Legislative and Justice Commission has initiated specific legislation to avoid cybercrime. There are 13 new laws including legislation to prevent racism and pedophile activity and to protect privacy. To help and facilitate police investigations, Internet Service Providers are now supposed to monitor all available information under their domain. If there is a suspicion of cybercrime, there must be a judicial authorization for the police to access someone’s private information. It is also clear that in this information technology era, there are no more secrets or privacy in the strict sense. As with many issues impacted by globalization, it is a hard thing to conciliate cultural differences. Every day we move one step forward to the universalization of human rights. In creating a global public sphere where people can search for information freely, human rights should guide us in this march towards the future. As Agnieszka Wrzesie, Diplo Fellow (www.diplomacy.edu) from Poland, said in one of the internet Governance Advanced Courses on Privacy Chat: “That’s why we should use all the channels possible to educate people. Empowerment is the key.” GROUNDCOVER NEWS 11 CO-OP from page 6 To become a member at the Ypsilanti Food Co-op there is an annual fee of $20 and then you become a member/owner. If you want, you can pay a one-time $200 fee and become a lifetime member. From this point, you are on your way to perceivably healthier living and the opportunity to work and volunteer in the community, which could add up to saving you 14% off groceries. And as a member/owner, if the co-op makes an annual profit you will receive a percentage. The seven principles of a co-op: 1. Voluntary and Open Membership: Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all people able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, regardless of gender, social, racial, political or religious affiliation. 2. Democratic Member Control: Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members - those who buy the goods or use the services of the cooperative — who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. 3. Members’ Economic participation: Members contribute equally to, and democratically control, the capital of the cooperative. This benefits members in proportion to the business they conduct with the cooperative rather than on the capital invested. 4. Autonomy and Independence: Cooperatives are autonomous, selfhelp organizations controlled by their members. If the co-op enters into agreement with other organizations or raises capital from external sources, it is done so based on terms that ensure democratic control by the members and maintains the cooperative autonomy. 5. Education, Training, and Information: Cooperatives provide education and training for members, elected representatives, staff and employees so they can effectively participate in the organization. Member also inform the general public about the nature and benefits of cooperatives 6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives: Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperatives movement by working together local, national and international structures. 7. Concern for Community: Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members. Explore Michigan co-ops! In the 1970s there were over twenty five food cooperatives in the state of Michigan, but now there are only eleven. • People’s Food Co-op (Ann Arbor). Use the Groundcover News coupon on page 12 when you visit! • Detroit People’s Food Co-op — the first Black-led food cooperative just opened its doors on May 1, 2024. • Grain Train Natural Foods Market (Petoskey and Boyne locations) • Green Tea Co-op Market (Mt Pleasant) • Keweenaw Co-op (Hancock) • Marquette Food Co-op • Oryana West (Traverse City) • Oryana Community Co-op (Traverse City) • PFC Natural Grocery & Deli (Kalamazoo) • Ypsilanti Food Co-op
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