Our laws and policies surrounding the protection of personal information were written for an earlier time, and they need to be completely overhauled for the Internet era. On the one hand, the collection of data — more widespread by business than by government, and impossible to stop — should be facilitated as an ultimate protection for society. On the other, standards under which information can be inspected, analyzed, or used must be significantly tightened. Author Michael Chertoff argues that what is at stake is not so much the simple loss of privacy, which is almost impossible to protect, but of individual autonomy — the ability to make personal choices, free of manipulation or coercion.