tway20180412

Privacy is an info coordinate on the Action axis and the Actor axis. There's the intended coordinate, and there's the actual coordinate. If an Actor performed Action at an intended coordinate, when can the actual coordinate be allowed to differ?

For example, Action (posting this comment), Actor (me). Intended (Action=High, Actor=Low), Actual (Action=High, Actor=Low). I intend the Action to be publicly available over the internet for anyone to read, and it is unlikely Dang will delete this comment. I intend the Actor to be hidden, because this account is a throwaway and has no other identifying comments. My VPN's ip is in HN's private logs which are unlikely to be leaked.

Some scenarios are clear:

- A murderer intending for (Actor=Low) should have (Actor=High) and be caught

- Using the restroom intending for (Action=Low) should have (Action=Low).

Other scenarios are more nuanced:

- Offshore accounts (Actor=Low) leaked by journalists in Panama Papers (Actor=High)

- Business trade secrets (Action=Low) revealed during product liability trial (Action=High).