I'm concerned that you are trying to create a binary, mutually-exclusive list. The same technology can often be used to be protect or threaten one's privacy.

Consider how the Targeted Advertising Cookie Opt-Out (TACO) plugin uses cookies to prevent advertising networks from collecting information about you, thereby protecting one's privacy.

Or, think about how biometics can be used to track people's access and movements, thereby threatening one's privacy.

Thanks for your comments, Michael.

No, I am not at all trying to create such a list. As I indicated in the post, this is an excerpt from the 2nd edition of my book, within which I expand upon the issues. This is simply a listing of training topics for what are commonly considered as PETs and privacy threatening technologies.

An important part of training and awareness is to start with a focus on specific topics, and then within the actual training content, or awareness communication or activity, dig into the facts and issues revolving around the topics. In this case, I'm starting with the list of topics that would be a skeleton around which the content is created. Not apparent when looking just at the list, I realize.

I wholeheartedly agree that almost any type of technology can be used for privacy invasion or privacy protection. You gave a couple of good examples. And there are many more. Indeed, the lists I provided show how historically and commonly people think of, and often use, these technologies. That is why it is so important to provide effective training for these topics to help people understand the many different ways in which they can be used! In fact, a good exercise within such training would be to include discussion of the ways in which each can be used for protecting privacy and also how each can be used to breach privacy. These lists would be fascinating to see from one type of training group to another (e.g., marketing, IT, legal, HR, sales, etc.). The devil's in the details.

Rebecca