--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The last refuge of privacy cannot be…" description: "\"The last refuge of privacy cannot be placed solely in law or technology. It must repose in both, and a thoughtful combination of the two can help us th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/jonathan-zittrain-12491_between_the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-pla_273572.jpg" --- # The last refuge of privacy cannot be placed solely in law… ![“The last refuge of privacy cannot be placed solely in law or technology. It must repose in both, and a thoughtful combination of the two can help us thread a path between having all our secrets trivially discoverable and preserving nothing for our later selves for fear of that discovery.” quote by Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/jonathan-zittrain-12491_between_the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-pla_273572.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/jonathan-zittrain-12491_between_the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-pla_273572.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/jonathan-zittrain-12491_between_the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-pla_273572.jpg) > “The last refuge of privacy cannot be placed solely in law or technology. It must repose in both, and a thoughtful combination of the two can help us thread a path between having all our secrets trivially discoverable and preserving nothing for our later selves for fear of that discovery.” [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Privacy requires both legal frameworks and technological safeguards; relying on one alone is insufficient. **In simple terms:** Privacy needs law and tech together. Key Takeaway Combine policy and tech to protect personal data. Themes privacy law technology balance security Mood concerned hopeful Type analytical prescriptive When to use this quote - online banking - social media - government surveillance - health records Key Concepts civil liberties digital rights policy design Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure laws keep pace with tech? - What tech tools best complement privacy laws? A Different Perspective Legal measures alone cannot stop data leaks; tech can be misused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Preserving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preserving/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Refuge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refuge/) [Secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrets/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Thoughtful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughtful/) ## Related quotes > [“When a writer is born into a family, Czesław Miłosz once famously said, the family is finished. You could forget about having any more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-freeman/when-a-writer-is-born-into-a-family-czes-aw-mi-osz-once-famously-said/) Judith Freeman > [“But all people have secrets. Part of being human is having secrets, and being curious about other people's secrets. Dirty fetishes and debilitating fascinations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/but-all-people-have-secrets-part-of-being-human-is-having-secrets-and/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [One of the ways I learned how to act, really, is by having secrets and having to function as a kid in a public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/one-of-the-ways-i-learned-how-to-act-really-is-by-having-secrets-and/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [I'm not good at keeping secrets. If I'm entrusted with a secret from a friend, I can do that because I'm a good friend,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-stiles/i-m-not-good-at-keeping-secrets-if-i-m-entrusted-with-a-secret-from-a/) [Julia Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-stiles/) > [If people stop having secrets they stop having power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lynn/if-people-stop-having-secrets-they-stop-having-power/) [Jonathan Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lynn/) > [I hate having secrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stassi-schroeder/i-hate-having-secrets/) [Stassi Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stassi-schroeder/) > [“No one could leave the group by his or her own volition and put the group at risk of having its secrets revealed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-spencer/no-one-could-leave-the-group-by-his-or-her-own-volition-and-put-the/) [Judith Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-spencer/) > [I am staunchly committed to ensuring the long-term solvency of Social Security and preserving full benefits for Americans who have spent their entire working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-kelly/i-am-staunchly-committed-to-ensuring-the-long-term-solvency-of-social/) [Sue Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-kelly/) > [I have always been vocal about preserving water and living a nature-friendly life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek/i-have-always-been-vocal-about-preserving-water-and-living-a-nature/) [Vivek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek/) > [When you savour and relish every moment, then you learn the art of preserving yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rekha/when-you-savour-and-relish-every-moment-then-you-learn-the-art-of/) [Rekha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rekha/) > [We have reached a new milestone as a human family. With seven billion of us now inhabiting our planet, it is time to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-ki-moon/we-have-reached-a-new-milestone-as-a-human-family-with-seven-billion/) [Ban Ki-moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ban-ki-moon/) > [Conservation destroys the present. If we are only busy preserving the past, we are not living in the present and unable to look forward.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-eisenman/conservation-destroys-the-present-if-we-are-only-busy-preserving-the/) [Peter Eisenman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-eisenman/) > [Our culture doesn't ask about preserving the essence of pig; it just asks how can we grow them faster, fatter, bigger, and cheaper. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/our-culture-doesn-t-ask-about-preserving-the-essence-of-pig-it-just/) [Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/) > [We know there is a deep reservoir of food wisdom out there, or else humans would not have survived to the extent we have.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/we-know-there-is-a-deep-reservoir-of-food-wisdom-out-there-or-else/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [There have been low moments before, but Christianity is an incredibly adaptable organism, using different parts of its repertoire to mutate into new ecological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-christianity-is-an-incredibly/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) ## More by Jonathan Zittrain > [The Internet is a collective hallucination: one of the best humanity has ever generated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-internet-is-a-collective-hallucination-one-of-the-best-humanity/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [Instead of using new technologies to preserve for ready discovery material that might in the past never have been stored, or deleting everything as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/instead-of-using-new-technologies-to-preserve-for-ready-discovery/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [How an individual's reputation is protected online is too important and subtle a policy matter to be legislated by a high court, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/how-an-individual-s-reputation-is-protected-online-is-too-important/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [Despite outsiders being invited to write software, the iPhone thus remains tightly tethered to its vendor - the way that the Kindle is controlled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/despite-outsiders-being-invited-to-write-software-the-iphone-thus/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [The Internet's distinct configuration may have made cyberattacks easy to launch, but it has also kindled the flame of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-internet-s-distinct-configuration-may-have-made-cyberattacks-easy/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [Another view is Western companies chartered in societies that believe in this kind of censorship shouldn't be carrying water for societies that do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/another-view-is-western-companies-chartered-in-societies-that-believe/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [I'm interested in harnessing the good will and distributed power of people, including novices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/i-m-interested-in-harnessing-the-good-will-and-distributed-power-of/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [The Internet works thanks to loose but trusted connections among its many constituent parts, with easy entry and exit for new Internet service providers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-internet-works-thanks-to-loose-but-trusted-connections-among-its/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [A free Net may depend on some wisely developed and implemented locks and a community ethos that secures the keys to those locks among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/a-free-net-may-depend-on-some-wisely-developed-and-implemented-locks/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [All sorts of factors contribute to what Facebook or Twitter present in a feed, or what Google or Bing show us in search results.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/all-sorts-of-factors-contribute-to-what-facebook-or-twitter-present/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [I think social networking is absolutely here to stay. Now, whether or not the label will Facebook forever, depends in part, I think, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/i-think-social-networking-is-absolutely-here-to-stay-now-whether-or/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [Content zips around the Internet thanks to code - programming code. And code is subject to intellectual property laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/content-zips-around-the-internet-thanks-to-code-programming-code-and/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [Facebook draws from the public and public-interest sphere, a simultaneously bold and modest step towards acknowledging that our new networked technologies deeply affect our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/facebook-draws-from-the-public-and-public-interest-sphere-a/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [There are some conversations that are undeniably improved when the rule going in is that you have to stand behind what you say and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/there-are-some-conversations-that-are-undeniably-improved-when-the/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [The Internet's distinct configuration may have facilitated anonymous threats, copyright infringement, and cyberattacks, but it has also kindled the flame of freedom in ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-internet-s-distinct-configuration-may-have-facilitated-anonymous/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) [Explore all 54 Jonathan Zittrain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) ## More Between quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [There may be little practical difference between a Ford Mondeo and a BMW three series, but in terms of perceptions of who you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/there-may-be-little-practical-difference-between-a-ford-mondeo-and-a/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [I don't think the distinction between high and low culture exists anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scott/i-don-t-think-the-distinction-between-high-and-low-culture-exists/) [Jeremy Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scott/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [Hebron is a bone of contention between Israeli settlers and the Palestinians in part because Abraham is buried there, in the Tomb of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/hebron-is-a-bone-of-contention-between-israeli-settlers-and-the/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [There's overwhelming evidence... circumstantial and otherwise, to suggest a connection between Iraq and al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/there-s-overwhelming-evidence-circumstantial-and-otherwise-to-suggest/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [I really think there's no difference between an art piece made by a man and one made by a woman. Is it a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-really-think-there-s-no-difference-between-an-art-piece-made-by-a/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [There's a difference between watching a film and watching a bit of cinema and enjoying a film as a piece of cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-frost/there-s-a-difference-between-watching-a-film-and-watching-a-bit-of/) [Nick Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-frost/) > [I don't differentiate between acting on TV and in films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prachi-desai/i-don-t-differentiate-between-acting-on-tv-and-in-films/) [Prachi Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prachi-desai/) > [I was in Vietnam, and I was exposed to Agent Orange. And there's a high relationship between people that were exposed to Agent Orange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/i-was-in-vietnam-and-i-was-exposed-to-agent-orange-and-there-s-a-high/) [Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/) > [It's a constant challenge trying to find balance between styling, designing and being a mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zoe/it-s-a-constant-challenge-trying-to-find-balance-between-styling/) [Rachel Zoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zoe/) Browse all 3,058 Between quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The last refuge of privacy cannot be placed solely in law or technology. It must repose in both, and a thoughtful combination of the two can help us thread a path between having all our secrets trivially discoverable and preserving nothing for our later selves for fear of that discovery.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonathan Zittrain" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-placed-solely-in-law-or/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Between" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-placed-solely-in-law-or/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/jonathan-zittrain-12491_between_the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-pla_273572.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/jonathan-zittrain-12491_between_the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-pla_273572.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/jonathan-zittrain-12491_between_the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-pla_273572.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The last refuge of privacy cannot be placed solely in law or technology. It must repose in both, and a…” — Jonathan Zittrain", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jonathan Zittrain", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The last refuge of privacy cannot...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-placed-solely-in-law-or/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-last-refuge-of-privacy-cannot-be-placed-solely-in-law-or/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```