Social Theory and Practice

Volume 40, Issue 2, April 2014

Nonstandard Observers and the Nature of Privacy

Observation by nonstandard observers (such as cats) has different implications for privacy than observation by ordinary human beings. This seemingly trivial point yields important insights about privacy. Searching for the characteristic that explains this difference reveals that privacy is importantly related to our interest in how others see us, and the derivative interest in controlling the information upon which others’ perceptions are based. This also casts light on the important relationships between privacy, autonomy, and the development of public personae.