I went to Target this eve to browse and perchance procure some luxury items (toys, a hat, whatever caught my fancy). Upon completion of my purchases and as I was exiting the store, the security guard asked to see my receipt. I told him no, that my receipt was in my purse, and then I walked out.
Why you ask?
Rude, you say?
Simple. The moment I paid for those items, they became MY items. Mine. As in my PERSONAL property. Why on earth would I just hand my stuff over to be peered at and poke through, without due process? Doesn't the Consititution give us the protection against unlawful 'Search and Seizure' of our property?
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Thursday, February 09, 2006
I have no Privacy...tell me is it just a dream?
Whilst cleaning out my email, I got an email from my group monitor about Yahoo that just freaked me right out;
"Please be advised that Yahoo is now using "Web Beacons" to track every Yahoo Group user. It's similar to cookies,
but allows Yahoo to record every website and every group you visit, even when you're not connected to Yahoo."
Great.
A website I visit once in a blue moon, and hosts a user Group I check with once a month, is sneaking a peak into MY computer for God knows what purpose! Oh, they say "research" but, for what?! How to sell me more stuff I don't need by watching every site I frequent? Oh, and since Yahoo doesn't really own a store, they make money off of me by selling their "research" to other businesses so THEY can snoop on me too!
Why aren't we being better protected from the interests of businesses?
I know everyone mentions Orwell's 1984 and 'big brother' when this kind of thing makes news...so it's a tad cliched to mention is again....but...have you READ 1984? 'Cause I did and it scared the you-know-what out of me! The idea that you had to hide from the Government for any moment of personal thought-that's one of the things that really stuck out in my young adult mind-that the hero had to hide...in his own house...
If you haven't read it, go do it right now. There's even more relevant stuff in that book but, don't take my word for it. Go read it.
I just feel that every single thing we do is recorded and analyzed and that the pool of free thought is being turned into a puddle, ever shrinking. The needs of the individual are subsumed by the desires of business in this 'modern' age and I can't feel comfortable with this.
What is the recourse for those of us that want to opt-out of this type of society? I mean, I don't want my personal information given out willy-nilly and until recently, I thought I was pretty good about guarding myself. I don't give out private information, I never fill out anything on a form that isn't required info (why volunteer stuff?), I have a separate email account just for sign ups to collect the inevitable junk, I shred personal info and junk mail and I don't buy much online. I figured "hey, I'm pretty covered".
Then the wake up.
My bank sells my info--oh not to just anyone (they claim)-just to related vendors. You can opt out (somehow) but, don't usually find that out until it's too late. My insurance company sells my info-there is no patient/company privilege. This strikes me as so unethical! I mean, you use insurance to pay for your medical needs, right?! Your DOCTOR can't discuss your course of care with anyone but you and your insurance company (they need to know what the Doc is doing for billing purposes) but, that same company can sell your information to a third party without prior consent from you. Huh?! No way you say. But, by signing the papers in many cases, you've given implied consent. Banks and insurance companies are just the big ones. Think of all the stuff you're signed up for; phone bills, utilities, the newspaper, your Albertson's card, your costco card, your credit cards...this list is endless and they are all selling info about you to each other and third party companies. All agreed to in the fine print.
And the argument that Corporations police themselves is a joke! Here's a fine example; Song BMG added 'copy-protection' to some of their CD titles that, when played on a computer, installed software (unbeknownst to the user/owner) on that computer. Supposedly it was there to make it harder to copy the disc but, it also spied for Sony BMG by sending information on what was on that computer back to Sony..you know...shared song files, movies, etc. It also made your computer easy pickin's for hackers AND was able to wreck havoc on the machine should the user/owner attempt to uninstall said program.
Nice.
Isn't there a law to protect you? Kinda sorta. The Privacy act of 1974 is the guideline used but, as you probably guessed there are tons of exceptions to the rule and anyone with a high powered, expensive attorney can make a case that the information they've exploited meets one of those exceptions. Besides, Uncle Sam wants in on this stuff too!
Recently, US Prosecutors subpoenaed Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft, and Google to turn over search engine results to use in cases for Child Porn prosecution. They're hoping they can use those results as research tools for law enforcement. Here are some quotes from an article on ZDNET regarding Google's fight to against the subpoena.
"Prosecutors are requesting a "random sampling" of 1 million Internet addresses accessible through Google's popular search engine, and a random sampling of 1 million search queries submitted to Google over a one-week period.
Although the Justice Department also demanded that Yahoo, Microsoft and America Online hand over similar records, Google was the only recipient that chose to fight the subpoena in court. After the spat became public last week, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said: 'This is important for the Department of Justice and we will pursue this matter.'
The government's request has raised eyebrows among privacy advocates and members of Congress, some of whom fear it could open the door to future fishing expeditions. Rep. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said he would introduce legislation to curb records retained by Web sites, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, has asked Gonzales for details."
Now, I'm against Child Porn, let me just state that right now! I do, however, agree with those 'members of Congress' who think this is only the beginning. That once you open that door a crack, it gets whooshed open instead.
But, wait! There's more! Everyone knows about the NSA Eavesdropping/spying scandal and regardless of your personal feelings on National Security--you must see the danger this brings us. Even if you agree with the President's position, you must acknowledge the slippery slope of his actions. After all 'Who watches the Watchers?'
For more information of the NSA spy scandal visit www.nytimes.com
For information of medical privacy rights visit www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa
For More info on the Privacy Act of 1974 visit the U.S. Department of Justice at www.usdoj.gov
Sorry, my links aren't linking today.
"Please be advised that Yahoo is now using "Web Beacons" to track every Yahoo Group user. It's similar to cookies,
but allows Yahoo to record every website and every group you visit, even when you're not connected to Yahoo."
Great.
A website I visit once in a blue moon, and hosts a user Group I check with once a month, is sneaking a peak into MY computer for God knows what purpose! Oh, they say "research" but, for what?! How to sell me more stuff I don't need by watching every site I frequent? Oh, and since Yahoo doesn't really own a store, they make money off of me by selling their "research" to other businesses so THEY can snoop on me too!
Why aren't we being better protected from the interests of businesses?
I know everyone mentions Orwell's 1984 and 'big brother' when this kind of thing makes news...so it's a tad cliched to mention is again....but...have you READ 1984? 'Cause I did and it scared the you-know-what out of me! The idea that you had to hide from the Government for any moment of personal thought-that's one of the things that really stuck out in my young adult mind-that the hero had to hide...in his own house...
If you haven't read it, go do it right now. There's even more relevant stuff in that book but, don't take my word for it. Go read it.
I just feel that every single thing we do is recorded and analyzed and that the pool of free thought is being turned into a puddle, ever shrinking. The needs of the individual are subsumed by the desires of business in this 'modern' age and I can't feel comfortable with this.
What is the recourse for those of us that want to opt-out of this type of society? I mean, I don't want my personal information given out willy-nilly and until recently, I thought I was pretty good about guarding myself. I don't give out private information, I never fill out anything on a form that isn't required info (why volunteer stuff?), I have a separate email account just for sign ups to collect the inevitable junk, I shred personal info and junk mail and I don't buy much online. I figured "hey, I'm pretty covered".
Then the wake up.
My bank sells my info--oh not to just anyone (they claim)-just to related vendors. You can opt out (somehow) but, don't usually find that out until it's too late. My insurance company sells my info-there is no patient/company privilege. This strikes me as so unethical! I mean, you use insurance to pay for your medical needs, right?! Your DOCTOR can't discuss your course of care with anyone but you and your insurance company (they need to know what the Doc is doing for billing purposes) but, that same company can sell your information to a third party without prior consent from you. Huh?! No way you say. But, by signing the papers in many cases, you've given implied consent. Banks and insurance companies are just the big ones. Think of all the stuff you're signed up for; phone bills, utilities, the newspaper, your Albertson's card, your costco card, your credit cards...this list is endless and they are all selling info about you to each other and third party companies. All agreed to in the fine print.
And the argument that Corporations police themselves is a joke! Here's a fine example; Song BMG added 'copy-protection' to some of their CD titles that, when played on a computer, installed software (unbeknownst to the user/owner) on that computer. Supposedly it was there to make it harder to copy the disc but, it also spied for Sony BMG by sending information on what was on that computer back to Sony..you know...shared song files, movies, etc. It also made your computer easy pickin's for hackers AND was able to wreck havoc on the machine should the user/owner attempt to uninstall said program.
Nice.
Isn't there a law to protect you? Kinda sorta. The Privacy act of 1974 is the guideline used but, as you probably guessed there are tons of exceptions to the rule and anyone with a high powered, expensive attorney can make a case that the information they've exploited meets one of those exceptions. Besides, Uncle Sam wants in on this stuff too!
Recently, US Prosecutors subpoenaed Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft, and Google to turn over search engine results to use in cases for Child Porn prosecution. They're hoping they can use those results as research tools for law enforcement. Here are some quotes from an article on ZDNET regarding Google's fight to against the subpoena.
"Prosecutors are requesting a "random sampling" of 1 million Internet addresses accessible through Google's popular search engine, and a random sampling of 1 million search queries submitted to Google over a one-week period.
Although the Justice Department also demanded that Yahoo, Microsoft and America Online hand over similar records, Google was the only recipient that chose to fight the subpoena in court. After the spat became public last week, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said: 'This is important for the Department of Justice and we will pursue this matter.'
The government's request has raised eyebrows among privacy advocates and members of Congress, some of whom fear it could open the door to future fishing expeditions. Rep. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said he would introduce legislation to curb records retained by Web sites, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, has asked Gonzales for details."
Now, I'm against Child Porn, let me just state that right now! I do, however, agree with those 'members of Congress' who think this is only the beginning. That once you open that door a crack, it gets whooshed open instead.
But, wait! There's more! Everyone knows about the NSA Eavesdropping/spying scandal and regardless of your personal feelings on National Security--you must see the danger this brings us. Even if you agree with the President's position, you must acknowledge the slippery slope of his actions. After all 'Who watches the Watchers?'
For more information of the NSA spy scandal visit www.nytimes.com
For information of medical privacy rights visit www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa
For More info on the Privacy Act of 1974 visit the U.S. Department of Justice at www.usdoj.gov
Sorry, my links aren't linking today.
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