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Re: The Utility of Privacy
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In <[email protected]>, on 11/17/96 at 12:12 PM,
[email protected] (Huge Cajones Remailer) said:
>I know many people who were happy they had insurance due to car
>accidents, health problems, or whatever. What is more, the odds of
>these events are carefully calculated and available. Call an actuary.
>Are there similar sources of information calculating privacy risk? I
>don't think so.
>Informally, I don't know anybody who has suffered due to a loss of
>privacy.
>It may be the case that it is politically beneficial to have a society
>of privacy fanatics. But, this is different from the direct benefit
>to each participant.
>My question remains unanswered, probably because privacy isn't worth
>the effort.
Well I can give you a couple of examples from personel "suffering" from loss of privacy:
#1. While living in KC I had a co-worker obtain my SS# which he then used to have all his
utilities put in my name. (Utility companies only asked for SS#, Name & Place of
employment). I did not find this out until 9mo. later when I went to have utilities turned
on in my new house. (I was previously living in an apartment which utilities were included
in the rent). It took several months, an attorny & many calls to the utility board to get
the mess straightend out.
#2. The Ill. State Police got my name cross-referenced with a convicted fellon in thier
computer system. Didn't find this one out until I needed to get my security clearance
renewed for a contract. Needless to say the client was not pleased. This took over a year
to get straightend out and god only knows how many other computer systems still has me
listed as a convicted car theif. Funniest part is that while this guy was rotting in jail
I was living overseas.
It is all too easy today with the current state of computer & information technology to
get f***ed. Needless to say I take my privacy much more seriously than I did before.
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