Ambient Privacy with Wireless Grids: Forging New Concepts of Relationship in 21 st Century Information Society

This study combines ambient intelligence with wireless grids to investigate ambient privacy in socio-technical interactions in emerging and next generation technology-pervasive environments. The research literature on 21 st century social sciences, ambient intelligence, wireless grids, futures studies, and privacy provides a theoretical framework for the exploration of ambient privacy in 21 st century environments. Use experience with WeJay social radio is explored in a virtual distributed environment. The research design incorporates a case study approach, employing multiple methods of inquiry and analysis. Findings related to ambient privacy at the early design stage of an awareenabled wireless grid product draw on the concepts of underdesign, privacy by design (PbD), and sensitive information, contributing to the forging of new technology-people-information relationships and understandings. This paper makes a contribution to the literature in several domains through development of the ambient privacy concept. This research proposes an ambient privacy interaction dynamic; an ambient privacy research framework; and an agenda to guide ambient privacy research and practice for a 21 st century information society.