Abstract
The insight that people worry about their privacy and the free flow of sensible personal related information in a wired world obviously is not new. However, answering the question what might happen if the whole environment is computerized is difficult. Mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) will enable citizens to use information and communication services literally everywhere and anytime; simultaneously, it implies the massive production, processing and distribution of personal information. Therefore, the rising number of mobile ICT devices correlate to a corresponding growth of data created during mobile communication. Furthermore, technologies like RFID1 could be used to control our behavior particularly in situations related to consuming. Hence, these technologies cross physical, individual and social boundaries by creating consumer profiles, which include what people have purchased as well as when and by whom these items are used. Additionally, it is very likely that in the near future mobile ICT will be embedded in a smart environment, an idea that is often called ambient intelligence, ubiquitous or pervasive computing. In such environments, ICT devices could not be recognized as separate artifacts with communication and computing capabilities; on the contrary, the ideal of that technology is to be invisible to its users (e.g. Beigl, Gellersen, Schmidt, 2001). It will provide communication and computing services in private as well as in public space without being recognized as ICTs. Therefore,we believe that those technologiesmay change citizens’ habits, because it will be even more difficult to control the flow of personal information than ever before. Moreover, people have to rely on and trust these new technologies and the people in charge – they simply will have no other choice. In ubiquitous computing environments, the risk to “accidentally” loose personal information or being spiedwill grow, consequently the notionof public sphere or space, asHabermas
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