ABSTRACT
Protection of digital privacy for individual citizens is foundational in earning trust. Because citizens trust government with their vital records such as social security, property, and financial information, governments have a duty to ensure the individual information privacy that citizens expect when turning over their personal information. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has highlighted the threats to sensitive information and urged federal government agencies to strengthen the safeguards protecting sensitive information citizens have entrusted to them (GAO 2015). Earning citizen trust also requires governments to ensure accuracy of information because errors in government records, such as property records, can cause major disruption of citizens’ lives. Moreover, citizens expect governments to protect their vital information not only in regular online interactions but also in the worst of circumstances, such as natural disasters or cyber-attacks. Citizenswill only trust governments that can protect their vital information and preserve vital records to help them quickly reestablish themselves during disasters and cyber-attacks. However, the digital privacy of citizens is increasingly under threat. The
growing use of surveillance technologies such as surveillance cameras, biometrics, drones, and satellites allows private individuals, companies, and governments to track daily activities of individuals in an unprecedented way (Mack 2014). An increasing use of drones in civilian life has gained attention in the United States (Sherwood 2012). The pervasiveness of socialmedia use further exposes individuals to datamining and profiling if information is not carefully guarded. The vast amount of public information put online also allows companies to create and sell personal profile information by utilizing software programs to crawl through websites. Digital security is also under attack. For national governments, the con-
cern is that cyber-terrorism could potentially bring down critical infrastructures such as power grids. TheGAO in theUnited States highlighted the serious threats to cybersecurity in its 2012 report (GAO 2012a). Security breaches in government information systems or private information systems
with personal information pose another threat to digital security and digital privacy. For instance, in March 2012, approximately 780,000 Medicaid patients and recipients of the Children’s Health Insurance Plan in Utah had personal information stolen.1 The scope and seriousness of these information securitybreacheshavecontinued to rise.According to theWashington Post in 2015, the hack of the security clearance system of the Office of PersonnelManagement (OPM) in2014compromisedmore than21.5million people’s records.2
