2008 Woodie Awards
Editor's Column: Hilton's privacy suit is a mirror of overexposure for all
Issue date: 2/7/07 Section: Opinion
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While there isn't much that America hasn't seen of Paris Hilton, we've got to wonder when enough really becomes enough. Federal courts ruled in favor of the modern heiress this week in a lawsuit against two opportunists and an entrepreneur who were able to obtain some of Hilton's personal belongings and create ParisExposed.com, a subscription website that broadcasts personal items, such as pictures, diary entries, and medical records that were kept in a storage facility after her house had been burglarized. The website is now out of commission until the hearings are finalized.
What does this mean for all of us here in the real world? Through the overexposure in the media, we are not surprised, shocked, or sympathetic towards Hilton in this case. While many of us may agree with the courts decision in her favor, we wouldn't have been outraged if the outcome had been different. The fact is, however, that she is still human, and that she never authorized this information to be publicized. Imagine your sister, friend, or yourself in a similar predicament, any ordinary citizen would be horrified to have information, such as a social security number or personal diary entry, made available to the public for someone else's profit. Elliot Mintz, spokesperson for Hilton, said of the case "This is the most disturbing intrusion upon the privacy of a public figure that I've ever witnessed."
The trouble is that there is a growing trend for those of us in the "real world" to mimic the behavior of celebrities and public figureheads, whether we are aware of it to or not. The norms of society seem to follow the norms of what celebrities may encounter, and thus the blurred line between what is acceptable in the media today and what isn't leaves a lot of uncertainty for our futures.
Noting the controversies surrounding sites such as MySpace.com and other personality blog websites, it is clear that the line between private and public information is less and less visible. As it becomes easier to put more discrete personal information on cyberspace, privacy removes itself from the norm. We are constantly contributing to massive data systems that record our daily lives for future reference. Our every destination can be tracked by EZ Pass, our purchases by Acme club cards, our every feeling by blog entry; what exactly is happening here?
From law enforcement and marketing perspectives, these technologies are a godsend; however, none of our actions outside of our home are private any longer. The way that our generation is posting information online, the actions we take each day without thinking may be recorded and may be broadcast for public use. Schools are prosecuting students for what they post online, corporations are screening potential employees for misconduct through public use sites as well, and the only ones we have to blame our ourselves.
What does this mean for all of us here in the real world? Through the overexposure in the media, we are not surprised, shocked, or sympathetic towards Hilton in this case. While many of us may agree with the courts decision in her favor, we wouldn't have been outraged if the outcome had been different. The fact is, however, that she is still human, and that she never authorized this information to be publicized. Imagine your sister, friend, or yourself in a similar predicament, any ordinary citizen would be horrified to have information, such as a social security number or personal diary entry, made available to the public for someone else's profit. Elliot Mintz, spokesperson for Hilton, said of the case "This is the most disturbing intrusion upon the privacy of a public figure that I've ever witnessed."
The trouble is that there is a growing trend for those of us in the "real world" to mimic the behavior of celebrities and public figureheads, whether we are aware of it to or not. The norms of society seem to follow the norms of what celebrities may encounter, and thus the blurred line between what is acceptable in the media today and what isn't leaves a lot of uncertainty for our futures.
Noting the controversies surrounding sites such as MySpace.com and other personality blog websites, it is clear that the line between private and public information is less and less visible. As it becomes easier to put more discrete personal information on cyberspace, privacy removes itself from the norm. We are constantly contributing to massive data systems that record our daily lives for future reference. Our every destination can be tracked by EZ Pass, our purchases by Acme club cards, our every feeling by blog entry; what exactly is happening here?
From law enforcement and marketing perspectives, these technologies are a godsend; however, none of our actions outside of our home are private any longer. The way that our generation is posting information online, the actions we take each day without thinking may be recorded and may be broadcast for public use. Schools are prosecuting students for what they post online, corporations are screening potential employees for misconduct through public use sites as well, and the only ones we have to blame our ourselves.
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