Many Tools of Big Brother Are Up and Running

wildfrontiersman writes "NY Times article, Many Tools of Big Brother Are Up and Running, quote: 'Because of the inroads the Internet and other digital network technologies have made into everyday life over the last decade, it is increasingly possible to amass Big Brother-like surveillance powers through Little Brother means. The basic components include everyday digital technologies like e-mail, online shopping and travel booking, A.T.M. systems, cellphone networks, electronic toll-collection systems and credit-card payment terminals.' This is too scary. I am now ready for a little less convenience and a little more privacy. How about you?"

Comments

Google No reg link!

[anonymous coword]

Google is to the rescue

Registration-free NY Times link (thanks to Google)

[dietlein]

Enjoy the story.

Personally,

[bplipschitz]

I have always been for less convenience and more privacy. However, I think it should be a matter of choice. The choices *should* be available, and many times they are not, and that really fries my goat.

For example, Social Security numbers were never meant to be a general ID number. Every chance I get, I opt for a different number [e.g., driver's licenses usually us SS #'s for the DL #. Here in Missouri, you can have that changed so that your DL# is not equal to your SS#, which is nice.]

I encourage everyone to limit any personal information you give out, and check your credit reports often. Ultimately, the choice is yours: restrict the broadcast of your personal information [at the expense of some convenience], or face identity fraud of one kind or another.

Re:Personally,

[bplipschitz]

--
Your driver's license number is generated from algorithm that uses your social security number, so even though you think your safe, you can just run that number in reverse through the algorithm to find your social. It's not even that trick, either, it can be done on some scratch paper in 30 seconds.
--

I doubt it--my driver's license number is two fewer digits than a SS, and starts with the letter W.

Not likely.

Re:Am I the only one? -- Probably

[reallocate]

Of coure they'd know. First, you need a passport. To get that, you need to present a birth certificate or other legal proof of identity. Then, you plaster a nice mug shot of yourself on the passport.

If you fly, you'll need to present your passport multiple times before you board the aircraft. And, the airliner will feed all that lovely personal info into databases shared with scads of agencies.

Don't forget passport control at your place of departure and at your destination. Oh, odds are you'll need a visa to get into that Arab country. A passport alone won't cut it. More database entries.

Now, once you beyond passport control and out of the airport at your destination, smile at the local police officers, 'cause you are almost certainly already in there records. And, if you appear sufficently interesting, the local intelligence service knows you're there, too.

For those that missed the reference

[phorm]

They haven't read the book most likely. Took me a second but I got it.

For the record, it's talking about the "Ministry of Love", which was actually in charge of distributing hate, in the book 1984.

Heck, a lot of people probably don't even know that the reference "big brother" is from there as well

More info

Re:What a sec

[pseudonymouse]

It's not like I'm doing anything illegal.

Under surveillance it's not enough to avoid doing anything illegal...you have to avoid doing anything suspicious or matching the wrong profiles, or you might become the target of an active investigation (brought in for questioning, search warrants on your home, etc.). They can't tell you what patterns they're searching for (or they would be easily avoided by the criminals), so it won't be possible to know what behaviors to avoid unless you're picked up by the police, or know someone who has been.