An 'Award Winning' Definition of Privacy

The Web site for CSO (that's Chief Security Officer) Magazine recently gave out its "Privvy" awards for 2007 -- dubious recognition for people who utter the most provocative and/or telling statements about privacy. One of the winners is a federal government executive: Deputy Director of National Intelligence Donald Kerr, who won the "Doubleplusgood Newspeak of the Year" award for this quote:

"Too often, privacy has been equated with anonymity; and it’s an idea that is deeply rooted in American culture.... But in our interconnected and wireless world, anonymityâ€"or the appearance of anonymityâ€"is quickly becoming a thing of the past.... We need to move beyond the construct that equates anonymity with privacy and focus more on how we can protect essential privacy in this interconnected environment. Protecting anonymity isn’t a fight that can be won. Anyone that’s typed in their name on Google understands that."

Privacy advocates seized on Kerr’s Orwellian attempt to singlehandedly change the definition of privacy because, hey, it’s really hard. (Source: Office of the Director of Naval Intelligence.)