On-line Privacy Concerns Grow
 

Some interesting things to keep in mind as our world becomes more digital.

continues:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/te...link.html?_r=1

This may have been posted on the Cellar before, but check out the ACLU Pizza Ad to see a 'for now' exaggerated example of this.

The ACLU has probably done more than any organization in the country to protect privacy rights....consumer privacy, internet privacy, medical privacy, workplace privacy.....

Sooner or later, everyone needs the ACLU on their side.

;)

And now we have the latest attempt by the Obama Administration to gain control over our privacy on the internet....

Obama Eyeing Internet ID for Americans

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_1...37-501465.html

Did you read it? It doesn't say anything of the sort. The assholes in the comments section certainly didn't read it.

He took control away from Homeland Security and the NSA, so the commerce department could come up with a way private businesses could offer people a secure digital ID, IF THEY WANT IT, for secure online transactions. No central data base, not government controlled, voluntary system for commerce.

It strikes me that he is giving more powers to his individual agencies that they do not actually have as understood by Congress in an effort to circumvent the controversy. He is doing it with the FCC and with the EPA.

It sounds to me like he's making the Commerce Department actually do some useful work, that would benefit commerce, helping cut down on fraud.

It's not the government, it's the advertising industry.
Why else would it have been handed over the Dept of Commerce ?

The ad industry has convinced every business person they must advertise.
Ad agencies have filled up almost every foot of publicly visible space,
and you can't look anywhere without seeing ads in one form or another.

So now they are going to track your computer ramblings
and present you with "opportunities" that were selected "just for you".
Cookies and FaceBook are their best friends, but cell phones and iPads work for them too.
The "find my iPad" feature on Apple's iPad has already been hacked for ulterior motives.

Corporations never die, so why should I think that databases ever get erased.
After all, my G-child's day care facility may some day be a key for selling high end golf clubs.

See, I'm only a little bit paranoid about databases :rolleyes:

Databases are an industry in this nation. No less a source for the government.

It was handed over to Commerce, to keep it away from Homeland Security & NSA, because that would generate immediate distrust that it's a national identity database.
This isn't about tracking for advertisers, they already have that well in hand, ask Google.
This is about coming up with secure a method, to be implemented by private firms, of online monetary transactions, to cut down on fraud and hopefully identity theft. Or at least the damage identity thieves can do.

xoB, my post was somewhat tongue-in-cheek,
but also pretty much my thoughts about advertising, itself.
With regards to Merc's post and link to NY Times, they seemed
to be focused more on personal data than on $ transactions.

As a retired db programmer, I am interested in your remarks,
and would like to pursue those ideas if you still have a link to share.
My first reaction is along the lines of how ? to know who is the
person using the computer, cell phone, etc, at any given
moment that would be an advantage over the CC's or SSN's we use now.

I'm using the link in Merc's post 5, which is CBSnews, I don't see any link to the NYtimes?

Very few are more paranoid about databases than myself, no facebook, linked-in, paypal, ebay, or any other online groups. Alumni groups have managed to find my mail address, but I don't respond. I also don't have a cell phone, won't use EZ-Pass, and refused GM's On-Star, if they want to track me, they're going to have to work at it.

That said, if I want to do business online, I have to use a credit card (I'm certainly not letting them into my bank account), and that means giving up some information, but I try to control how much, and to whom.

Maybe Obama & Co see the mega-banks, with their huge credit card networks, going down the tubes, and they're looking for an alternative verification system to keep ebusiness from being dragged down too. :unsure:

OK Thx, I was coming from Merc's #1 and had yet not seen #5

Check out how much info there is on yourself on the web already. And this is the tip of the iceberg. Look yourself up in pipl.com. Scary shit.

A lot of people have confiscated my name, even before I was born ! :(

It seemed to be a pretty good search on public (real estate, birth, etc.) records.
It did turn up some, but not all, of my references in the scientific literature,
but a Google search can be much more complete.

Here is a web site I use with prospective tenants for a free criminal background check.
This too is not always up to date or complete, but the price is right.

Pipl's info was 95% wrong. Mostly about a former governor of the Bank of Scotland, and a NJ football player.:rolleyes:

The criminal searches site is legit and very informative. But be careful searching in it for fun. You might accidentally learn things about some friends that you never wanted to know.

FWIW... YMMV...
THAT particular site did not have any info of value on a couple individuals I KNOW for a fact have records in a particular state. To confirm, I went to the state site and the information is still on the state site.

Well Classic, you sort of got your money's worth. ;)

Seriously, if it's a negative search it doesn't mean anything.
But if it does yield something on a prospective tenant it is worthwhile, without having spent $ on a formal check.

Maybe so, but I bet if I was a prospective employer I could find enough about you that you may or may not have wanted to share. Well maybe not for someone of your age, but for a younger more connected person the issue may be larger.

"younger" "more connected" ??? I almost feel hurt :sniff:

But you're probably right.
I keep after our G-kids about what all they put up on FaceBook, etc.

Also, it's the credit score that is important...
a al insurance rates, loans, etc.
It shouldn't be that way, but how can you fight it.

HA! I object! I have never had Somersize Desserts on my pulblic Amazon wish list!
:blush:

[cue blond impression]

I don't remember anyway. If I did, it is scary! Do you know how many desserts are listed? I could be a blimp right now. :p:

:)

TechNewsWorld
Facebook Drops Another 'P' Bomb

<snip>
Just ignore the final naivite:

Zuckerberg's Yellow Pages. :rolleyes:

On again, off again... FB promises On again... Soon

CNN News
January 18, 2011 9:11 AM PST
Facebook backtracks on apps grabbing address, cell number
by Lance Whitney

[/SPIN On]

[/SPIN Off]

I've already been pilfered by FaceBook.

Prior to the "new profile version" of FB, I had all of my personal data restricted to viewing only by My Friends.
Over the weekend my profile was automatically converted into FB's new version.
The settings on new fields were applied at the default "everyone" level.
As soon as I saw it, I erased all of my data and again went back through the settings to restrict viewing, location, etc.

This morning I opened FB and I see "personalized" ads for services to the "senior citizens" of Oregon:
for the Peace Corp in Portland, for Natural Awakenings, for long-term care insurance,
for nursing homes, and for a local funeral business.
Even after restricting the settings, the ads change each time I go back into my Profile.

Geeeeezzzzz. FB already has the rest of my life planned out for me

Google continues to please me...

NY Times
Google and Mozilla Announce New Privacy Features
By TANZINA VEGA
January 24, 2011, 12:52 pm

This approach is consistent with the current direction of the FTC,
but relies on the integrity of the 3rd-party companies.
Some teeth in FTC regulations would probably be appropriate and essential.
Microsoft expects users to know of and black-list each specific site.

Thought this may be an appropriate place to put this.

Onyx, maybe part of it belongs in the "There's something wrong here" thread.

What could possibly be a better opportunity than this?

I wonder if they are collecting credit card numbers.

I guess it could be considered a certain kind of Hell to work in a call center. Punishing.....