Howard Rheingold, who studies and writes about the impact of technology on the behavior of groups, says the debate should begin with an understanding that the rules of privacy have changed.

"The shadow side of the empowerment that comes with a billion and a half people being online is the surveillance aspect," he says. "We used to worry about big brother -- the state -- but now of course it's our neighbors, or people on the subway."

By Jonathan Krim at the Orlando Sentinel.

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