# My Brainscan

- Author: Joichi Ito
- Date: 2002-08-01T01:29:25Z


So my Brainscan (the 3 minute blurb that we give in front of everyone) was something like the following:



I'm the only Japanese at this conference of over 100 people. I guess it is an acknowledgement to the 2nd largest economy but a sign that everyone is saying, "call us when you figure it out." I'm on the China panel today so maybe that means that everyone thinks Japan is soon going to be part of China. Anyway...



The Japanese economic problem is based on the dysfunctional market and the lack of a working democracy. At this conference everyone has been blaming the US for stuff so I'll do that too. The US left the gangsters and the bureaucrats in power to fend of communism. If Japan had been allowed to become a democracy, we may have become a communist nation so maybe that made sense. Anyway, we need help transforming our Japan into a true democracy.



The Internet is an incredible tool and an incredible risk.



The printing press created public opinion that forces politicians and corporations to be accountable. Blogs, personal publishing, instant messaging and other Internet tools could transform the public into a much more active force.



On the other hand, privacy technology is essential to protect the right of people to transact, communicate and not be profiled. Privacy underpins democracy. Without privacy, there is no public debate, there is no dissent, there are no revolutions. Privacy is about data structures and architectures which are extremely political. The US will work to protect the privacy of its own citizens, but they are not incentivized to protect the privacy of citizens of other nations. All nations must focus on and cause privacy to be protected since privacy will not be driven by purely market forces at this stage and once privacy is lost, it is impossible to un-do disclosure of your personal information.





---

#### Categories

Privacy