Re: Fair Credit Reporting Act and Privacy Act

[Tim Philp <bplib@wat.hookup.net>]

On Wed, 14 Feb 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:

> (Tim Philp's idea that this would only apply to "corporations" or
> "businesses" (not clear which he means) misses the point. Am I, for
> example, a business? Having such laws kick in at some well-defined
> threshold would simply shift the nature of the information-gatherers...for
> example, they's subcontract out the record-keeping to a raft of smaller,
> linked entities. Then you'd have to prosecute people and companies for
> accessing illegal data banks, etc.)

	I think that the reason that this was not clear was because it was
not central to my argument. I was not "really" suggesting that only
corporations be included by this law. I do realise what a corporation is
and that some very small entities can be a corporation. 
	What my central thesis was that people who take information from 
me for one purpose, ie health care, hydro, internet provision, etc, 
should be required to keep this information confidential. If I detect a 
violation of this confidentiality, I should have an expectation of some 
legal recourse. 
	If I apply for a credit card and use it to buy a hockey glove (how
Canadian eh) I should not expect to be on the mailing list of every
sporting goods operation in North America! I should be able to expect 
that my doctor's files on me will be kept confidential. This is certainly 
an area where you cannot provide false information as medical records must 
be accurate to provide for future care.
	Again, I am not suggesting prior restraint. I simply want to sue 
the bastards who violated my expectation of privacy.

Warm Regards,
Tim Philp