You are here:  Home > Communications > Who's listening?
University of Bristol
Institute of Physics logo
Why not try our other site: BEEP Biology & Ethics
 

Who’s listening?

The use of the Internet and mobile phones has grown dramatically in your lifetime.

  • mobile phone networks now cover 80% of the world’s population
  • there are more than two billion people using mobiles
  • the number of Internet hosts increases by a factor of ten every few years
     

Modern communication systems can  now be taken for granted.

Business, entertainment and personal communication have all come to rely on electronic information . . .

  • What are some of their benefits?
  • Are there associated risks?
  • Could they threaten basic human rights?
     

These pages explore some personal and social implications of modern communications systems.


Next: Murder...

 

What's your opinion?

Average rating

Current rating: 0/5 (from 1 votes cast)

Read comments

NOT RATED old man billie'o 19-06-09 11:24
- im so lonely.
thats why i spend all my time on this,
in my bad we used pieogens,
the adrenalin rush i get from reading about mobiles is immense.
many thanks.
your completing the last days of my life
NOT RATED georgia helk 25-06-09 09:21
i think people listening to our calls is completely wrong. We have a right to have privacy. IF THEY HEAR THE WORD 'BOMB' THEN THEY CAN INTERFERE.
NOT RATED me =) 25-06-09 09:22
i think that mobile phones are not at all dangerous. they give young teens..(LIKE ME!) pleasure. we all have a right to communicate over the internet, so if we communicate over the internet, which is much more unsafe than mobile phones, then they should ban the internet.
cgffjfhftgjeltham 29-06-10 08:28
Im's a bit iliterratte and fond dis verry hrd 2 undrxdtand :(, mr waring is bad tcher

Bookmark this pagefacebook myspace bebo delicious diigo stumbleupon twitter reddit yahoo google

 
 DISCUSSION STARTER

Talking
heads
Worksheet




ETHICAL ISSUES INVOLVED
Text equivalent:

Privacy

How do we balance the right to privacy with the need to combat crime?Text equivalent:

Openness and secrecy

Sometimes it is right to be open with information we communicate. On other occasions it is right to keep it secret. Can you think of any occasions when there is a conflict between the two positions?
Text equivalent:

Ends vs means

Is the end result of the police possibly catching a criminal worth the invasion of privacy of them listening in on your phone calls?


A 3D representation of the internet
Image: CC The OPTE Project
Click to enlarge