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2003 Privacy and Human Rights Survey Released
Privacy Digest writes "Out-Law.com, UK - Global privacy report is the most comprehensive ever . The Electronic Privacy Information Center and Privacy International on Friday released their sixth annual Privacy and Human Rights survey which claims to be the most comprehensive survey on privacy and data protection ever published. The report reviews the state of privacy in over fifty-five countries around the world. Key topics include Total Information Awareness, the public response to the U.S.A.-Patriot Act, traveller profiling, biometric identification, and other new technologies of surveillance. Privacy and Human Rights 2003: An International Survey of Privacy Laws and Developments is available free online or it can be purchased from the EPIC Bookstore."
I know this puts me in danger of being modded down.
But...
Privacy is not a basic human right. Not like freedom to not be murdered, beaten, or starved. There are a lot of human rights violations going on right now, but certain levels of tracking don't even show up on the human-rights-violations radar.
Sure, denial of privacy can reach extreme levels, to the point where it becomes a concern. But I think this report is a little knitpicky.
Slashdot Syndrome: the sudden, extreme urge to correct someone in order to validate one's self.
I seriously have to wonder how many more years it will be before this report will be merely a commemoration of lost history.
The average American consumer is still oblivious to the erosion of privacy that has occured over the last decade. Only radical action and broad support will stop this continuing trend.
-You may license this sig for only $6.99.
Quoted from article:
In Russia (especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg) illegal collection and distribution of data on private persons and organizations is quite commonplace. Quite popular are databases on purchase/sale of cars, car owners, passport data and foreign passport data of Russian citizens, data on real estate (purchase and sale of apartments, their parameters, location and proprietors), databases of taxpayers, information about people wanted for crimes and those who have been previously convicted. CDs with such databases are easily available on the streets and the Internet. The CD can cost from USD10 to USD1,500 depending on the subject, amount and accuracy of the data. In the beginning of 2003 a mobile phone company Mobile Telesystems (MTS) suffered a massive security breach that led to the sale of CDs with MTS's entire database of several million customers. By law, MTS was required to share information about their customers with the police and government agencies. MTS claimed that the database had been stolen and that the company had started its own internal investigation without seeking help from law enforcement agencies. The company refused to provide details as to the results of this investigation. Widespread speculation and comments from an MTS spokesperson indicate that the data was leaked by a low-paid employee from one of these government agencies
New year Resolution: Don't change sig this year
Despite the funniness, this is actually a good point. I realise that for idiots like the GNAA and all the other retarded first-post whores this is an appropriate title - maybe even a little too lenient. However, if someone posts anonymously because of valid reasons (like many in the RIAA stories) then it is a little unfair. I realise that it would be near impossible to judge which to use (it isn't a simple case of "logged in user" "logged out user") without adding an extra and pointless layer of moderation. Bah. Thats just my 2 cents.
I like the part about CAPS II may deny people boarding based on their composite score.
Scene from Soviet America, next year:
I'm sorry, sir, you are not allowed to travel. No, we cannot tell you why, that would be a violation of security; we can only tell you that you are not allowed to travel. Please return home and avoid transit. We will alert you in the future if you are allowed to travel.
Why make any distinction? Thats what the moderation system is for, is it not? So you can attach a "troll" label to posts you dont like?
I know it's really to enforce groupthink, and keep the illusion that everyone who reads this site has the same beliefs and values.
My post wasn't meant to be funny, or at the most in an ironic sort of way. It's kind of like saying "I love freedom of speech, so everyone shut the fuck up".
Can some one please explain to me what is evil about biometric identification? If having a retina or finger print on my ID prevents people from pretending to be me, isn't that a good thing?
UNIX/Linux Consulting
www.theinquirer.net
>THE UK GOVERNMENT has announced plans to keep an electronic file on every child in England in a range of new child protection measures announced by prime minister Tony Bliar.
>The children's files together with their unique e-number will be managed by local authorities in a "local information hub". The file will contain the name, address and date of birth of each child, together with the name of the school attended and whether the child is known to such agencies as the police, social services or educational welfare. Where multiple agencies are involved the file will denote which one profesional will have overall reponsibilty
Yet again... launched to "protect" the children... and yet another place where incorrect information can have devastating consequences for the parents of a child if a mistake is made during data entry...
Teacher notices bruises on child's torso... entry in database... social services could now be investigating for child abuse when it could have been a simple injury from a fall... but the reason might not have been entered later after investigation by the teacher however that entry will be there forever... Same child misses school several days in a row for a perfectly valid reason some months later... yet again social services could put 2 and 2 together later on and make 5...
What's the bet's they'll try and fly this kite by saying "the innocent have nothing to fear"??? If there's anything to go by from previous cases... the innocent have everything to fear when social services get it in their minds that there could be abuse when there isn't...
Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
Of course you're right, and it's absolutely idiotic. Whoever modded you as flamebait is one of those PC douchebags.
The problem with airport security is that we're giving so much power to some of the stupidest people alive. This isn't an insult, but a fact. Conventional airport security guards are no brighter or better paid than mall security guards.
I hear about an episode where some 65 year old woman who'd had a mastectamy is taken into the back and strip searched for setting off the metal detector. Another one had airport security guards making a woman drink her own breast milk (it was in a bottle, they wanted her to prove it wasnt some kind of flammable liquid). Women are groped by these jackasses all the time, and now they want a machine that would "see through" your clothes.
I have no problem with security measures at airports, but you have to ditch the untrained morons in charge of them first.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Wow. Couldn't they have given the government a little wiggle room? I mean, talk about tying them up in a straight jacket to protect citizens' rights!
Seriously though, thats 6 holes big enough to drive a liberating tank through, by any dishonest use of what constitutes "national security" (search and monitor everyone all the time in case they do anything bad), "public safety" (see previous), "economic well-being of the country" (monitor people's every electronic transfer of data, in case they wreck the movie and music industries, search houses for pirate material), "prevention of disorder or crime" (24-7 surveillance just in case - violence on the streets wiped out, violence in the home eradicated), "for the protection of health or morals" (DNA audits, and surveillance to make sure little Billy's boxing-gloves are securely tied on, when he's in bed and there are no blowjobs or anal shenannigans going on in anyone's bedrooms), and "for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others" (well, that just about covers anything and everything also.)
All of this is merely qualified by "in accordance with the law" which of course is rock-solid and uncorruptible, and "is necessary in a democratic society" which means "so long as there are elections, however bought and paid for and skewed (rather than fixed.)"
The Human Rights Act has saved us! Nothing to worry about. Those dastardly freedom-taking, privacy hating politicians are bound by hand and foot.
Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose Bierce
Yeah, easy for you to say, whiteboy.
Profiling seems like a great idea when you look at it as an abstraction - sacrifice some rights of a very small group of people to improve everyone's safety. Sure, why not? It's a whole different story when you take it on an individual level. I'm an Arab, and an American citizen, and I've lived in the United States since I was two years old. Most people assume that I'm white just looking at me; shit, I don't even speak Arabic. I'm no more a terrorist than your theoretical elderly black woman. And let me tell you, getting searched at every. Single. Goddamn. Airport. starts to look a whole lot like racism from where I'm sitting. I'm not suffering because of anything I've done, or even any choices I've made; it's the way I was born that's the issue. Even the most hardcore politically conservative (i.e. pro-equality of opportunity) outlook can't support that. So if it doesn't fit the political doctrine, what could the motivations be? Notice how they didn't start profiling caucasians at government buildings after the Oklahoma City bombing?
That aside, racial profiling was recently proven not only ineffective at hampering terrorists, but actually counterproductive. It's an interesting paper, and a very simple proof, though I somehow doubt that it will change your mind on the matter.
Finally, asshole, your stance here doesn't brand you as a "radical free-thinker" or "defiantly anti-PC", no matter how you might try to paint it as such. It brands you as a fucking racist, and I hope that someday someone gives you the mighty clue-stick bitchslap that you so desperately deserve.