8-533 / 8-733 / 19-608 / 95-818: Privacy Policy, Law, and Technology

Homework 5 - due November 7, 2013

Don't forget to properly cite all sources (including assigned readings) and include a bibliography with all homework assignments.

Reading assignment: October 29-November 7 readings

1. [25 points] Write a short summary of each of the required readings (3-7 sentences each - do not exceed 7 sentences!). 12-unit students: also read and write a summary of one optional reading paper. After each summary (in a separate paragraph) provide a "highlight" for that chapter. This can be something new you learned that you found particularly interesting, a point you would like to discuss further in class, a question the chapter did not fully answer, something you found confusing, a point you disagree with, or anything else you found noteworthy.

2. [25 points] Write a one-page essay discussing a student or teen privacy issue in which there are multiple stakeholders with differing perspectives. Explain the issue and the stakeholder perspectives, citing relevant sources and argue for how you think the issue should be resolved.

3. [50 points] Pick a consumer software product or service that may collect information from or about its users and may transmit some or all of that information off the consumer's device or share information collected by a service with other parties. Do not pick the products and services described in the Rubinstein and Good case studies. Use the Microsoft Privacy Guidelines to analyze this software. List all the applicable guidelines and try to determine whether/how the software complies with each one by using the software and reading its documentation. You may be able to get some additional relevant information about the product support web site for that product. Make a table showing each guideline and how the software complies with or violates it (or explaining why you are unable to determine this). In the case of violations, what changes would you recommend to comply with these guidelines. [If you find you are unable to make a determination for most of the guidelines, pick another piece of software to analyze.] Use the approaches described by Rubinstein and Good to expand your analysis to address issues not addressed by the Microsoft guidelines.