EPIC Announces Privacy Threat Index

submicron writes "The Electronic Privacy Information Center or EPIC announced today a Privacy Threat Index patterned after the Office of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Threat Index. This Privacy Threat Index is intended to track the growing threat to personal privacy and present it in an easy-to-understand index. EPIC assesses the current threat level as Yellow based on events over the past year. These factors include expanded use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveilance Act, the decision of the FBI to relax the legally mandated accuracy requirement for the National Crime Information Center (NIPC) and increased funding for surveillance systems including immigration control and video surveillance."

Comments

SNL skit on the Threat Index

[shdragon]

This reminds me of that SNL skit about the threat index...

Natural Enormous risk of terrorist attack
Bone Gigantic risk of terrorist attack
Putty Enormous risk of terrorist attack
Cream Immense risk of terrorist attack
Off-white Huge risk of terrorist attack

"Now, some of you may have noticed we used Enormous twice. This was a mistake, and we didn't have time to correct it."

WTF is it that people feel the need to spoon feed their audience? Now, I have much respect for EPIC and applaud them on their efforts to protect privacy but I am dismayed by their choice to continue the simple color chart index to promote their cause. This is a serious & complex issue that doesn't deserve to be dumbed down to green light - go, red light - stop.