Introduction to Usable Privacy

This introductory chapter first discusses the significance of privacy and informational self-determination as a basic human right for individuals and as a value for democratic societies. It highlights the role of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) in effectively protecting privacy and argues that the usability of privacy functions and usable PETs are important prerequisites for enforcing the right to informational self-determination. Moreover, this chapter also defines basic terms and concepts related to privacy, data protection, and usability and refers to related textbooks and surveys on usable privacy.