In this country and in this city, privacy is highly valued and coveted. Privacy influences many elements of our city from housing design to our preferences for private automobiles. Yet, in Arizona there is a significant commitment to unmanned aerial vehicles, wall-penetrating imaging, and long distance surveillance technology. And while most of these technologies are being developed for use in military and border security applications, they are also likely to become tools for city, county and state police forces. These forms of technology leverage existing (and future) nanotechnology. They are quietly breaking down the ability to retain our private lives. From our Facebook pages to our email the use of electronic surveillance is breaking down our notions of privacy. With the volumes of data being compiled and the expanded use of drone (unmanned aerial vehicles) and other surveillance technology, there are challenges to the cultural expectation and value of privacy.

What does privacy mean in the Nano City? How might nanotechnology threaten to undermine the cultural values aligned with privacy? Who gets to decide what is private and what is semi-private and what is public? Can nanotechnology strengthen our levels of privacy, while encouraging greater data and information sharing? Are information sharing and privacy opposing forces?