Privacy Resolutions for the New Year

Chris Hoofnagle writes "EPIC has released ten privacy resolutions for the New Year. In addition to losing weight next year, lose all those data brokers who are after your bits."

Comments

EPIC 2014

[noamt]

I wonder if EPIC has anything to do with this scary-yet-insightful video-flash movie.

Resistance is futile!

[Alwin Henseler]

Oh come on now! Just get your private banking records, secret software projects, xxx pics of your girlfriend & her mother, and goatse collection. Upload the shit to an FTP server, submit link on Slashdot, install webcams all over your home, and be done with it, okay?

Welcome to the no-privacy age!

Disclaimer: yes, you are correct in questioning my mental sanity. But then again, insanity is just a different view of reality, right?

What does antivirus have to do with privacy?

[zxSpectrum]

From the Privacy Resolutions:

Install anti-spyware, anti-virus, and firewall software on your computer.

I can understand why people want anti-spyware when running on windows boxes, since they also do a good job with cleaning recent files and such.

I can also understand why people would want firewalls for privacy. They're more convenient than actually locking down all ports and services manually

But anti-virus? And as a privacy measure? I don't get this. I have run without anti-virus for almost seven years, on various Windows boxes. I have never been virus-infected.

Whenever I am called out to do virus disaster recovery, it's almost always for people who have an antivirus solution installed. When are people going to drink the kool-aid, and understand that anti-virus solutions don't help.

My advice would rather go something like this: Set up your mail client so it won't auto-infect you by receiving mail. Don't open attachments. Don't install warez. Don't be so freakin' naive and gullible. Stop believing strangers send you naked Britneys.

No more credit card offers!

[azav]

So sweet. This is the best /. story this year because it can get rid of all those credit card offers.

I called up the phone number in step 5 and was notified of a web site that would remove credit card offers and insurance offers for 5 years or permanently!

Guess what I signed up for?

https://www.optoutprescreen.com/

So sweet. Less junk mail is a good thing.

Re:Cash purchases

[nkh]

Cashiers who ask for info? Tell them they don't need it. And repeat "Here's your money" like a broken toy, it helps!

If you work for a retailer and are forced to ask, ask politely if the client wish to give some info. I'm just a client and I really appreciate when I'm asked instead of trying to answering their threatening demands.

Re:Who gives a fucking rat's ass?

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

you don't want a marketer to know what brand of condom you prefer, even if there is no practical consequence. Well, and I say, fuck it, I don't care.

Dear Sir,

We at Foo Health Insurance have reviewed your personal customer file. It appears you use condoms from the SuperStrong[tm] brand, which is statistically consistent with a promiscuous sex life. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, and to better serve you, we have cross-checked your medical claims file and successfully determined that you have started taking tri-therapies recently. What's more, your credit record seems to indicate that you would be better served by another health insurance company. We therefore regret to inform you that you will no longer be able to enroll in your current plan. Please find enclosed a list of plans you are eligible to.

Regards,
Joe S. Bastard, Foo H.I., Inc.

Disposable identities

[Indy Media Watch]

Engage in "privacy self defense." Don't share any personal information with businesses unless it is absolutely necessary

Or... Give them disposable information that allows you to cease hearing from them, or know when/if they have distributed your information without consent.

To this end, I highly recommend Spam Gourmet which allows the on-the-fly creation of disposable email addresses.

If you walk into McDonalds and really want to sign up for their win a free cheeseburger contest, you give them an email address like cheesy.n.youraccount@spamgourmet.com and you will only ever receive 'n' emails to that address before it dies.

Of course if you then receive emails from Pizza Hut, you know exactly where they got the email from.

If you never want to hear from the person, give them this address: me@privacy.net.

Any emails sent to that address receive a reply to the effect of: "whoever gave you this address didn't want you to have theirs".

Useful stuff!