Smart Grid Could Pose Threat To Privacy

Presto Vivace writes "Brian Krebs of the Washington Post reports on a study jointly released Tuesday by the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Future of Privacy Forum. It seems that in the process of collecting all that feedback about energy use, utility companies will inevitably collect a great deal of information about us. From the article: 'Instead of measuring energy use at the end of each billing period, smart meters will provide this information at much shorter intervals, the report notes. Even if electricity use is not recorded minute by minute, or at the appliance level, information may be gleaned from ongoing monitoring of electricity consumption such as the approximate number of occupants, when they are present, as well as when they are awake or asleep. For many, this will resonate as a "sanctity of the home" issue, where such intimate details of daily life should not be accessible.'"

Comments

So leave the lights on all the time.

[John Hasler]

n/t

Re:Kyllo

[Tycho]

There are still people making moonshine, illegally, these days. However, I don't think that the marijuana plant after it has been bred to contain more THC is very "natural" any longer. Currently, coming up with a dangerous combination of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol is not easy. Add THC into the mix and if one uses it carelessly with alcohol, it is a recipe for death from the synergistic effects of the two chemicals or for extremely impaired driving. It also doesn't help that long term abuse of THC can cause psychosis. Both of these outcomes are good reasons why marijuana should not ever be legal. There are probably prescription drugs with fewer side effects and interactions than THC that would be less harmful if legalized.