[LINK] Bruce Schneier: Privacy eroded in virtual world

[Craig Sanders]

On Fri, Feb 25, 2005 at 01:59:14PM +1100, Deus Ex Machina wrote:
> Craig Sanders [cas at taz.net.au] wrote:
> > ok, lets put it another way. why should you have any problem with a
> > government agency whose job is to collect, collate, cross-reference, and
> > data-mine all available data on every citizen or resident?
> > 
> > if you have a problem with that, then why don't you have a problem with
> > private sector collection of the same data?
> > 
> > Big Brother isn't just government. He's corporate. in fact, given that
> > the government really only exists these days to serve their corporate
> > masters, there's little or no difference.
> 
> myth. 

no, the myth is that we live in a democracy which is responsive to the will of
the people.  open your eyes and look around, the evidence is right there in
front of you - the government (any government, labour or liberal) routinely
ignores the will of the people and implements the will of corporations.

elections only allow us to choose which set of corporate lackeys are "in
charge", and whether we want them to act with callous indifference to social
welfare or with guilty indifference.

> name names. who are these corporate masters? is it John Elliot,
> Messrs Packer?

to name two.

most of them aren't human, though.  they're fictional entities, with names
like AMP, NAB, BHP, Esso, KPMG, Haliburton, and many others.


> > do you want to be added to spam lists (internet and/or real-world) just
> > because your purchase profile (products, brands, amount, etc) triggers
> > some marketing data-miner program?
> 
> I already am. you can buy several real worl marketing lists on which my
> name appears. 99.9% of this material ends up in the bin. so what?

the point is that not everyone is happy to be on such lists.

if you want to be on them, then fine, go sign up for them....but it should not
be legal to just add someone to such a list because you happened to acquire
their name & address somehow.  it should be illegal unless there is an
explicit request.


> > do you want access to the data collected on you by the private
> > sector being sold to various government agencies - as a way of
> > circumventing laws which restrict how, why, where, and when govt
> > can collect personal data and what they are allowed to do with that
> > data?
>
> well if I was planning something illegal then that might be a
> concern....

"if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about". that's
just bullshit. it isn't only criminals who care about privacy (actually,
most criminals are pretty thick and don't care much about privacy, they
just care about hiding their activities).


> > the "average joe" is an idiot who thinks that Fly Buys and other
> > "rewards" programs are a good idea - it doesn't even occur to them
> > that they are not a "reward program", they are a spying program, and
> > that to participate, you have to give written permission to allow
> > collection of personal data that would ordinarily be prohibited by
> > law.
>
> I must be one of your idiots, because I love my frequent flyer program
> it gives me overseas flights for peanuts.

glad to see we agree on something.

there's more to cost than just money.  you're paying for those FF points by
selling your privacy.  this may seem like a good deal to you, and i have no
objection to anyone voluntarily joining such a program IF they are fully
informed up-front (and not just in tiny print hidden in paragraphs of
eye-glazing legalese, but emphasised BEFORE they join with precise details of
what information they are giving away and what it may be used for).


craig

-- 
craig sanders <cas at taz.net.au>           (part time cyborg)