What Will You Sacrifice?

The pervasive computing field has been acutely aware of privacy challenges since the beginning. Early press stories about technologies such as the Active Badge were often presented in the context of discussions about an Orwellian future in which we were observed all of the time. Of course, the reporters didn't accurately predict the rapid, widespread adoption of smartphones, which have extended our ability to monitor users far beyond the confines of the office. Concerns about monitoring people within the context of their workplaces seem the least of our worries in 2011.