Privacy: Word of the Year; Pursuit for the New Year

Every year over the past 5 years was supposed to be the ‘Year of Privacy’. So it is not surprising that Dictionary.com gave the word ‘privacy’ its 2013 Word of the Year award. (We can be thankful it wasn’t ‘twerking’ or ‘selfie’). Considering that their 2012 word was ‘bluster’ (?) or worse, their 2012 word was ‘tergiversate’ which means “to change repeatedly one’s attitude or opinions with respect to a cause, subject”, I think they got it spot on this year.

Typically, Dictionary.com selects a word that rose to prominence (or infamy) through common usage during the year (like ‘Occupy__’ or ‘Arab Spring’). It appears as though this year, they chose a word that encapsulated an overall quality of 2013. It’s about time.

Considering the ubiquity of the word and more so the very notion of privacy and its importance to everyone, ‘privacy’ deserves its day in the sun, and a nod to the words permanency, unlike the selections of the past few years.

It’s increasingly evident that people are really ready to embrace more than just the theoretical word. The fundamental understanding of the value of personal privacy has been assimilated this year like never before. Between the Wikileaks disclosures, the NSA spying on American’s cell phone calls, and the almost daily revelations of how companies of all stripes capture their customer’s data via browsers or mobile apps, the abstract value of privacy has more than congealed in the minds of consumers. There is even talk of the monetization of one’s privacy and how a consumer can ‘exchange’ their privacy for some nominal value to a business. Consumers realized that privacy and convenience has always been a trade-off, now it seems like the trades are just getting better. AT&T, for example, recently offered a 30% discount to users of their GigaPower broadband service to customers who must agree to participate in AT&T Internet Preferences behavioral tracking and ad service. According to AT&T’s Internet Preferences, they "may use your Web browsing information, like the search terms you enter and the Web pages you visit, to provide you relevant offers and ads tailored to your interests." Interestingly, some of the offers will come via snail mail.

Insurance companies are also in on the action. Progressive, Allstate and State Farm all have similar ‘monitoring for a discount’ offerings. State Farm’s program, named Drive Safe and Save, allows for a calculation of risk, by way of a small device added to a car’s diagnostic port that tracks real-time driver behavior. Factors such as speed, mileage, lane changes, location, time of day and braking urgency are captured, measured and analyzed. What’s the payoff for drivers? A 5 percent discount immediately, and then are eligible for further cuts of up to 50 percent after six months of monitoring, depending on what the record shows. Though somewhat financially intriguing for the cost-conscious, it implies that there are other not-so-good drivers who will make up for the discounts offered to good drivers. What is disappointing to some about this approach is that it makes privacy into a zero sum game: some have to lose if others are to win. You may feel, however, that this is the ultimate victory for consumers: choice. If you want to trade away your privacy for a discount (or a coupon, chocolate bar, rebate, etc.) then you should be able to; the ultimate luxury is having options.

Either way, it is very good news for consumers and the privacy-mindful everywhere that the notion and expression of ‘privacy’ has come forward in the consciousness of our society. Let us not make this year’s word a quaint and curious concept with a sell-by date only to be forgotten next year or tossed into the ash heap of grammatical history (‘Gangnam’ anyone?). It would be wonderful to never have to think of the word again as unique and something to strive for. Let’s take it off the pedestal, shall we? I’d rather that we take the word this year as a call to action for next year, and every year thereafter, and assimilate the word and its implications into our daily life, our actions and activities, and choices. What a better New Year’s resolution can you have than that?

Happy New Year everyone!