[LINK] Surveillance in extremis

[Geoffrey Ramadan]

Jan Whitaker wrote:
> At 12:30 PM 28/08/2006, Geoff Ramadan wrote:
>> I am curious to know if you or anyone else would have the same 
>> concerns if they had stuck a simple "barcode" on the bin with a 
>> unique number?
>
> Probably I would have concerns. 
Are you concerns "heightened" because they use RFID? And if so why?

> But it depends on what they do with the information and why they are 
> collecting it. They must comply with privacy acts and inform people 
> that this information is being collected and why, for one thing.
Though I agree with this, but don't the council already have a privacy 
statement which I assume allows them to collect information for the 
purpose of tabulating their rates and fees?

Or put it another way, what is different about this (registering bin 
deposits/pickups) to what they are already doing, and information they 
already have about ratepayers?


> And I haven't read all my email yet to see if anyone could explain if 
> services would be denied if someone other than the household to whom 
> the bin had been assigned put 'bad' stuff in the bin.
One scenario I have been told is after three warnings, you get to go to 
"waste management school"!
>
> These types of systems need to have controls around them so that 
> people aren't denied services for things that happen beyond their 
> control. If the point is to monitor the recycling services that are 
> contracted to provide those services, that is one thing. But if they 
> are used to play big brother, or bin brother as they have been dubbed 
> in Ireland, then they are despicable.
Agree

Reg
Geoffrey Ramadan
>
> Jan Whitaker
> JLWhitaker Associates, Melbourne Victoria
> jwhit at janwhitaker.com           
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