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

Privacy is the ability to control the transfer of information both in and out, through an imaginary border between the private space and the public space. Freedom of silence, as a facet of privacy, is the ability of an individual to stop unwanted speech, telephone calls, emails, or any other face-to-face or mediated forms of communication. Two recent legal measures namely the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) and the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM), both designed to enforce the freedom of silence, have been found to have a relatively low efficacy. As such, a number of technologies have been developed to protect the freedom of silence. Technology-based solutions are the most effective means to limit the inflow of information rather than legally shaped. These technologies are not as slow-moving as the legal framework but are quick and adaptive reactions to other technologies. The slower moving legal system is best used as a support for the filtering technologies.