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Decode Your Barcode, Get Your Personal Info

Posted by michael on from the mark-of-the-beast dept.

Chris writes "The Swipe Toolkit is a collection of web-based tools that sheds light on personal data collection and usage practices in the United States. The tools demonstrate the value of personal information on the open market and enable people to access information encoded on a driver's license or stored in some of the many commercial data warehouses. Check out the Data Calculator, which shows how much your personal info is worth, and how the data brokers get it. It's all part of the Swipe Project, which will be on exhibition at UC-Irvine in March."

1 of 299 comments (clear)

  1. Used at Six-Flags theme park by danwiz · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I was at Six-Flags theme park last summer and they scanned my Connecticut driver's license to determine if I was of legal age for a $4 cup of beer. They trusted the scanner and didn't even bother looking at the birthdate on the front. I now have concerns that my purchase info is in the company's database. If (or when?) this data is sold it could affect my health/life/auto insurance, privacy, etc.

    Also, if I were stopped by the police on the way home this data could declare me guilty of DUI before proven innocent. Pretty bad since my girlfriend coaxed the beer away for herself before I could drink it.