Re: Data Privacy Laws

[Tim May <tcmay@got.net>]

At 5:37 PM -0800 4/29/97, Ulf M�ller wrote:
>> >   According to the Registrar's office, anyone who is processing personal
>> >   information, even as little as names and addresses received over the
>> >   Internet, could find themselves facing an unlimited fine in the higher
>> >   courts if they do not register with the Data Protection Registrar.
>
>> This is well known to most of us. Still, we periodically get "privacy
>> advocates" here on this list singing the praises of the various European
>> "data privacy laws" and urging other nations to adopt the same sorts of
>> laws.
>
>It is worth noting that the "Data Privacy Commissioners" in Germany
>(equivalent to the British Data Protection Registrar) are beginning to
>advocate technologies such as anonymous e-cash, pre-paid chipcards,
>pseudonyms, and of course encryption, rather than more laws.

This is very encouraging, if true. (Not that I doubt Ulf, but one must
always be careful in considering the plans and promises of government
entities.)

It would be especially nice (schon, or schoen--my Mac supports umlauts, of
course, but I never try to use them in ASCII posts) if Germany were to
abandon its control-freak stance toward the Internet and realize that "the
best cure for bad language is more language" and "sunlight is the best
disinfectant." (These are both well-known sayings about free speech.)

--Tim May



There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
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,
Higher Power: 2^1398269     | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."