Watching the watchers: University of Utah course looks at transparency and privacy in the digital age

SALT LAKE CITY — Today's technology has profoundly changed the way we lead our lives.

Social networking has allowed us to stay instantaneously close to friends and family. Cellphones can keep us in contact nearly anywhere at anytime.

But those same tools can also give much of the world a view of what we shared with others on Facebook, or through that phone app to share our thoughts with much of the world.

Government hearings are streamed live to public audiences and online access to government documents has allowed for more transparency and public participation. But new technology has also raised serious questions concerning privacy and protection of personal information.

What used to be potentially embarrassing moments can now be circulated across the globe.

"Those things that were funny at the time. Those days are kind of gone. Everyone has a cellphone and can take a photo of it, or video, and post it on YouTube," said law professor Randy Dryer. Studies have shown that about 80 percent of human resource managers check Google and social networking sites before hiring a person.

In order to navigate this complex new world of technology, Dryer has created an honors course at the University of Utah that explores issues of transparency and privacy. Co-instructors, attorney Corper James and SJ Quinney College of Law librarian Valeri Craigle, help maintain the class website and develop the class curriculum.

"The Honors College has had a whole series of think tanks on different topics," Dryer said. "I came up with this topic because it's the hot topic right now with the development of Facebook and other social networking platforms."

Dryer calls it a "think tank in a fish bowl." In the spirit of transparency, the class itself is kept transparent: classes are video recorded, student assignments are posted online, students are required to blog once a week and post Tweets daily about their thoughts on transparency. The class website can be accessed by anyone, and even includes a section where the public can leave comments for the class.

Some students say after spending almost a semester studying these issues, they have altered their online habits in what they say and what pictures they post.

"I think it's made all of us really paranoid, actually," said student Tanner Gould. Even in writing a paper for the class, Gould said he is more strict about the quality of his work — not because professor Dryer will be reading it, but because members of the public will also.