Freedom of silence vs. freedom of speech: Technology, law, and information security

Freedom of speech and freedom of silence (privacy) are viewed very differently and are protected by laws in different ways in our society. In fact, there is a natural tension between the two, and society must find the proper balance between such opposing forces. Technology is playing an increasing role in supporting both freedom of speech and freedom of silence. At the same time, recent implications of freedom of silence on information security have become more and more apparent, as computer crimes are increasingly using unsolicited and often misleading speech, for example phishing emails and denial of service. This article explores the implications of the freedom of silence, and evaluates technological and legal solutions. The author concludes that technology-supported speech can more readily be contained by appropriate defending technologies than by legal means