[the invisib1e hand]

Ironic, indeed, that the discussion would be preempted by the event that would usher in the greatest privacy-defeating initiatives of our generation.

The problem is digital. All the information is somewhere, and the gods of the databases seethe to find it, connect it, analyze it, and, of bloody course, sell it.

If "knowledge is power," then "information is control."

***

I recently was lured into a "jobs" website on the pretext of submitting my resume for a job posted on another one. As soon as I realized I'd been misled, I aborted the process of filling out their forms. I continued to get emails from that site for weeks.

Finally, I wrote them by email and asked why I was on their contact list if I'd deleted my "account?" I demanded the complete removal of my information from their databases. Believe it or not, somebody wrote back and said, "we've taken you off our email list, but we aren't allowed to remove you from our databases."

When I wrote back for a legal explanation, they stopped replying.

Now, what am I going to do, sue them? Not a chance. But maybe my son or daughter will marry a really sharp hacker...

[StolarStorm]

What should really scare you, is not your private data, but the incorrect association with other people's data. I've been getting harassed for years by PI's, debt collectors and credit card companies due to the actions of someone that owned my house 20 years ago that I have no other connection to.

Sure, I call each one and tell them to remove me from their database... but there are always other ones that call a few weeks later. The root problem is one of those massive database companies (lexisnexis) that has my address and phone number associated with a crook.

I've called them several times to no avail. I have to hire a lawyer to force them to remove the connection. WHY THE HELL SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKE??? In fact, I should be able to sue them for harassment. Maybe I can.