Re: Children's Privacy Act

["E. ALLEN SMITH" <EALLENSMITH@ocelot.Rutgers.EDU>]

From:	IN%"llurch@networking.stanford.edu"  "Rich Graves" 24-MAY-1996 04:18:17.16

>I recognize that criminalizing the free flow of information is like trying
>to stick your finger in a dike, but every little bit has an effect. In
>this case, I'd call it a positive effect. 

	That's funny, most people would call the German action to censor
pro-nazi information a criminalization of the free flow of information with
a positive effect.

>I was certainly disappointed to hear a couple of cypherpunks the other day
>discussing for-profit offshore data havens full of personal information
>that is illegal to collect in the US as a business opportunity *they* were
>interested in pursuing. I just can't see myself doing that, for anybody.
>Gubmint or private, doesn't matter.

	Why, pray tell, _should_ someone be able to conceal that they declared
bankrupcy - e.g., ran out on their debtors that they had freely contracted to
repay - more than 7 years ago? Should prison terms to theft be limited to 7
years?
	Moreover, there are significant negative economic impacts for
criminalizing the possession of such information. The above is one instance;
another, which is even more of interest to me due to my profession, is that of
genetic information and insurance. Genetic screening for insurance purposes
decreases the risk to an insurance company. It is therefore possible to issue
insurance with less of a pool backing it up (for claims in insurance, for
bad debt in the case of credit). This increases the number of businesses who
can get into a given market, which will decrease prices for insurance since
the current insurance business is quite ogliopolistic. Thus, for the average
individual the availablility of such information is beneficial.
	I would personally be interested in setting up some such business in
the future, specifically one with a genetic screening lab. While I would not
wish to devote my entire time to it, I would be quite willing to help with
setup and updating it - if paid a fee, of course.
	-Allen