Bruce Schneier’s Important New Book
Bruce has just published Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World, a book that will interest many Lawfare readers. Data and Goliath is deeply informed and accessibly written analysis of mass surveillance by firms and the government. Part One is a terrific tutorial on big data and data mining, in the public and private sectors (and the two sectors in conjunction). Part Two explains the many reasons Bruce thinks we should worry about big data and data mining. And Part Three calls for very extensive limitations and regulation of public and private data collection and use. Bruce is more worried about surveillance than I am, and his prescriptions in some respects seem self-defeating to me. But among the book’s many virtues is that Bruce fully understands and fairly engages contrary arguments. I have a review of the book coming out soon, and I recommend it highly.
Categories: Book Reviews, Data and Goliath, Text