[LINK] Airport to tag passengers

[Craig Sanders]

On Wed, Oct 18, 2006 at 01:13:35PM +1000, Deus Ex Machina wrote:
> Howard Lowndes [lannet at lannet.com.au] wrote:
> > If you did some background research on Jan, then you might just find 
> > that she is a little better qualified to speak for the consumer than you 
> > are.
> 
> I never pretend to speak for the consumer. I am well aware of jan
> qualifications. the consumer speaks quite happily for themselves with
> their feet and their dollars. why we need do gooders to add costs to
> the "protected" consumer is really a mystery to me. perhaps you care
> to explain?

for the same reason that we actually have laws against assault rather than
just relying on the potential victim's ability to defend themselves.  it's not
a level playing field, and not everyone has the ability to do that.


i.e. because:

a) consumers are easily fooled and manipulated and lied to...and frequently
are.

b) consumers don't always know what it is they're getting in to

c) consumers don't always stop to think about the hidden costs or other
ramifications of "volunteering" private data (e.g. "flybuys" is the
marketers way around the prohibition of recording identity and purchase
details from eftpos transactions - the flybuys card is a way of tricking
the consumer into granting permission...which fact is hidden in the fine
print which almost nobody reads) or opting-in to surveillance.

d) voting with your wallet isn't very effective - especially when there is
no alternative available


craig

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