The ontological interpretation of informational privacy 3

7 8 Abstract. The paper outlines a new interpretation of informational privacy and of its moral value. The main 9 theses defended are: (a) informational privacy is a function of the ontological friction in the infosphere, that is, 10 of the forces that oppose the information flow within the space of information; (b) digital ICTs (information 11 and communication technologies) affect the ontological friction by changing the nature of the infosphere (re12 ontologization); (c) digital ICTs can therefore both decrease and protect informational privacy but, most 13 importantly, they can also alter its nature and hence our understanding and appreciation of it; (d) a change in 14 our ontological perspective, brought about by digital ICTs, suggests considering each person as being consti15 tuted by his or her information and hence regarding a breach of one’s informational privacy as a form of 16 aggression towards one’s personal identity.