Explore the growing issues posed by the privacy divide
About This Module
This curriculum module is based on takeaways from series five of NYC Digital Safety training videos. You may use this module by:
- Including it in your pre-existing public workshops
- Combining it with other NYC Digital Safety modules to make a longer data-privacy focused workshop
- Sharing the handout with library users at various service points
Downloadable presentation slides and a facilitation guide can be found below.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, learners will be able to:
- Define the privacy divide
- Describe issues and challenges surrounding paying for privacy
- Identify ways to ameliorate the privacy divide
Lesson Plan
This lesson plan is also included in the downloadable facilitation guide below. You are welcome to use any and all of this, or adapt it as you see fit.
This module will take approximately 60 minutes to complete. The content in this module can be delivered in different ways, whether via a discussion-based workshop session or as a component in another, more hands-on, skill-building module.
Introduction and welcome
Greet learners and share the plan for this module
Define the digital divide and privacy divide
Start by providing a definition of the digital divide to help set-up and contextualize the definition for the privacy divide. Pause to see if anyone has any questions
Privacy divide issues
Explain some of the issues surrounding the privacy divide, notably how privacy is becoming more a luxury good and how lower-income people are more vulnerable to online privacy threats and violations
Activity: Digital and privacy divide challenges
Break your learners into small groups. Have them discuss other issues, challenges, or concerns posed by the digital divide and the privacy divide. Have your learners share their thoughts and ideas with the entire group
Privacy divide examples
Provide a case study example of a privacy divide issue: the predatory behavior of for-profit colleges who use data collection practices to target vulnerable populations. Pause to see if anyone has thoughts, questions, or a reaction to this example
Activity: Privacy divide solutions
Put your learners back into small groups. Have them brainstorm some different solutions or approaches to addressing the privacy divide. Encourage them to be bold with their ideas!
Privacy divide actions
Highlight different groups and organizations that are trying to address privacy divide issues with education and awareness, increased online access, and more regulation. See if anyone has anything else to add or a question
Wrap up, final tips, and final questions
Review the closing thoughts and share the suggested resources. See if anyone has any final questions
Next Steps
Download the materials below for use in your workshop or at service points throughout your library.
If you plan to create a longer privacy-focused workshop using these materials, here is a link to Google slides. Feel free to make a copy if you’d like to add these slides to any other deck.
And please let us know how it went! Use this form to share your feedback on this module. We’d love to hear from you.