Re: Children's Privacy Act

[tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)]

At 11:00 PM 5/24/96, Rich Graves wrote:

>Who would control the offshore data havens? What would they have on me? I
>am well aware of what TRW et al can do, but at least in theory (cough),
>they're legally accountable (cough).

Who would control them? Their owners, presumably.

What would they have on you? Depends on what you've done and what they can
learn.

>I know you disagree, but I'm a big fan of statutes of limitations and the
>firewalling of unrelated issues. Someone went bankrupt or beat her husband
>seven years ago (or whatever), I don't want to know about it. I'd rather

If you don't want to know about it, fine. Set your filters to ignore such
things.

But suppose *I* want to know?

(And there are "legitimate" reasons. Isn't it quite plausible for a woman
to be interested in whether her prospective husband is a wife-beater? Even
if the last incident occurred (or was publically reported, at least) more
than the 7-year (or whatever) period ago?)

In any case, there are public records, such as arrest records, court
transcripts, newspaper articles, and so on. To forbid me from using these
(to throw me in jail, ultimately, for this crime) is inconsistent with a
free society.

And technology is already finding ways to route around such laws. The stuff
we are involved with will shatter such laws completely.

--Tim May

Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software!
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Licensed Ontologist         | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."