Romney video shows collapse of private spaces

Mitt Romney’s mistake in speaking bluntly at a May fundraiser was not only in the words he spoke but also in failing to anticipate the ears they might reach. An audience that looked like an exclusive group of Republican donors this week multiplied — thanks to the pervasiveness of video technology — to the entire world.

Rapidly changing technology is shrinking traditional zones of privacy faster than most people can adjust, and the future looks no easier to navigate. Some technology companies are creating “wearable devices” that put video cameras in eyewear and watches. Others promote “frictionless sharing” of user locations, reading lists and music choices.

Campaigns desperate to prevent embarrassing video and audio snippets already are confiscating smartphones at closed-door events. But they have largely been overmatched, as time and again moments intended to be kept secret have turned up on the Internet.

“There is a total collapse of the notion of private space,” said Republican strategist Steve Schmidt, a top adviser to Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign in 2008. “Increasingly, politicians who say one thing behind closed doors and another to the public get caught doing it.”

full: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/romney-video-shows-collapse-of-private-spaces/2012/09/18/e3b4313c-01ba-11e2-b260-32f4a8db9b7e_singlePage.html