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.

Dig into issues surrounding online surveillance through discussion, reflection, and exploration of different examples

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 slide and a facilitation guide can be found below.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• Define surveillance, particularly in an online context
• Describe issues and challenges surrounding surveillance in online environments
• Identify ways to continue learning about online surveillance issues

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 55 to 60 minutes to complete.

Introduction and welcome

Greet learners and share the plan for this module

Define surveillance and discuss the definition of surveillance

Start by introducing a broader definition of surveillance. Then, open a discussion and have your learners share their own thoughts and impressions about the term

Surveillance mechanisms

Review the information here on how and where surveillance tends to occur. Share the technologies used to engage in surveillance and the different entities that engage in surveillance, including governments and private companies

Activity: Online surveillance examples

Briefly pause to see if any of your learners have any examples of online surveillance that they have heard about and would like to share

Debates on surveillance

Review some of the debates surrounding surveillance, especially online surveillance. These debates include situations where surveillance might be beneficial, situations where it is damaging and harmful, and questions arising from surveillance and data-gathering practices online

Activity: Surveillance debate

Begin by introducing some discussion guidelines and what to do if the discussion gets heated or uncomfortable.
Next, have your learners engage in individual reflection for about 5 minutes to consider how surveillance affects their online experiences. Break your learners into small groups. Post the questions on the slide around online surveillance in different situations to them and encourage them to discuss and share their views for about 15 minutes

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.

Unpack and discuss issues surrounding privacy online through discussion, reflection, and exploration of various examples

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, a facilitation guide, and two handouts can be found below.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• Define privacy, particularly in an online context
• Describe issues and challenges surrounding privacy in online and digital environments
• Identify ways to continue learning about online privacy

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 70 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.

Discussion: Defining privacy

Begin by asking your learners to define privacy. See what comes to mind, what they think, and how they conceive of the issue of privacy

Define privacy

Follow up the opening discussion by defining privacy with a standard definition and note that you’ll be considering privacy in online environments more specifically for the remainder of the workshop

Privacy and the internet

Share information about privacy issues, trends, and complications in the Internet age

Privacy vs. security debate

Introduce the long running debate of privacy versus security and pose questions to help learners start considering these questions in the context of the Internet

Activity: Online privacy issues

Break your learners into small groups and have them discuss and share what issues they see with online privacy.
This is a deliberately broad question so feel free to see how the conversation develops and feel free to interject with follow-up questions

Privacy issues

Share some current research and how Americans feel pessimistic about privacy issues. Share research on current major issues being discussed and considered around online privacy, including new technological developments that might pose risks to privacy. Note if any of these came up during the previous activity and highlight ones that weren’t mentioned

Activity: Protecting online privacy

Break your learners into small groups. Have them brainstorm ways that individuals can protect their online privacy.
Have them also consider ways organizations, groups, regulators, etc. can help improve and uphold online privacy rights. At the end of this section, share that two big concepts (among many) in online privacy are 1.) keeping devices updated and working well and 2.) reading privacy policies. Feel free to look to other modules in NYC Digital Safety for relevant handouts

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.