Did We Lose the Privacy War?

eihab writes "I've been a fanatic about my online privacy for the last few years. I've been using NoScript and blocking Google Analytics, disabling third-party cookies, encrypting IM and doing everything in my power to keep data-miners at bay. Recently, I've been feeling like I'm just doing too much and still losing! No matter what I do, I know that there's a weak link somewhere, be it my ISP, Flash cookies, etc. I've recently gotten AT&T U-Verse, who, according to their privacy statement, will be monitoring my TV watching habits for advertisement purposes. I'm extremely annoyed by that, yet I love the service so much and I don't think I can cancel it. I just can't take this anymore. I have nothing to hide, but I do not want to be profiled and become member #5534289 in a database somewhere that records everything I do. I know I'm not that interesting to anyone, but the idea of someone being able to pull up everything about me with a simple SQL SELECT statement and a couple of JOINS makes me cringe. One of the reasons I hate data mining is that data security is not understood and almost non-existent at a lot of places. Case in point: I changed my life insurance two years ago, and the medical firm that conducted my health screening was broken into and computers with non-encrypted hard drives and patients' data were stolen. That medical firm didn't really need my SSN, but then again neither did AT&T when I signed up for U-Verse. Am I just too paranoid? Is privacy dead? Should I just give up and accept the fact that privacy is not the norm anymore (like Facebook's founder recently said) or should I keep fighting the good fight for my privacy?"

Comments

There was a war?

[mandark1967]

Damn...If it wasn't so private maybe I'd have heard about it and fought...

Re:There was a war?

[masmullin]

That statement is only true for Nuclear War and the Special Olympics.

You insensitive clod!

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

I am member #5534289 you insensitive clod!

Re:You insensitive clod!

[Attila Dimedici]

No, you are member #31156320. Keep it straight.

Get !Prozac.

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

This amazing new drug from Pfizer called !Prozac, pronounced Not-Prozac. It has the complete opposite effect on a human body. !Prozac, when ingested by a normal human being, it will trigger multiple-personality-disorder. Now you can use one identity for your normal law-abiding activities without any concern about privacy and data mining etc. Then you can use the other identity for nefarious, criminal and/or shameful activities. Infact the other identify can ingest another dose of !Prozac and create another personality. Recursively! Your criminal personality A does not have to know what your shameful personality B is doing. Just look at the hoops people are willing to jump through just to get prOn!

Re:Privacy

[armyofone]

"...don't think that was a problem which the people originally started worrying about what people knew about them were concerned with."

Still trying to parse this. Will get back to you when parsing is completed... ;]

Re:Err no

[Anonymous Coward]

The Rothschilds, the Morgans, the Carnegies, the Rockefellers, the Du Ponts, and the Vanderbilts. Don't hear those names very often?

I hear those names all the time, mostly from idiots on the internet spewing crap about how the government caused Swine Flu, September 11th, AIDS, and Sprint's shitty cell phone service.

No SELECT is necessary.

[t33jster]

I know I'm not that interesting to anyone, but the idea of someone being able to pull up everything about me with a simple SQL SELECT statement and a couple of JOINS makes me cringe.

Actually, we've written a stored procedure to determine whether or not you're interesting.

EXECUTE IS_INTERESTING(5534289);

Very interesting indeed.

Queueing job "MineSoulskill5534289"

[davidwr]

Creating record "Soulskill5534289"
Set "Slashdot Story Submission alias"="Soulskill"
Set "PrivacyFanatic"=true
Set "UsesNoScript"=true
Set "BlocksGoogleAnalytics"=true
Set "disables3rdPartyCookies"=true
Set "UsesIM"=true
Set "EncryptsIM"=true
Set "blocksFlashCookies"=false
Set "UsesATTUverse"=true
Set "TimeStartedCurrentATTUverseSubscriptionRange"=1/1/2009-2/16/2010
Set "ProbablyReadsPrivacyStatements"=true
Set "LovesATTUverse"=true
Set "EnjoysBeingProfiled"=false
Set "WantsToBeMember5534289"=false
Set "HasInflatedEgo"=false
Set "HadInsuranceRecordsStolenTwoYearsAgo"=true
Set "ChangedLifeInsurance2yearsAgo"=true
Set "AsksSlashdot"=true
Set "MoreNotes"='Ask Slashdot: Did We Lose the Privacy War? on Tuesday February 16, @11:44AM
Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday February 16, @11:44AM
from the no,-now-finish-your-cheerios-and-straighten-your-shirt dept.
background: url(//a.fsdn.com/sd/topics/topicprivacy.gif); width:71px; height:53px; privacy
eihab writes "I've been a fanatic about my online privacy for the last few years. I've been using NoScript and blocking Google Analytics, disabling third-party cookies, encrypting IM and doing everything in my power to keep data-miners at bay. Recently, I've been feeling like I'm just doing too much and still losing! No matter what I do, I know that there's a weak link somewhere, be it my ISP, Flash cookies, etc. I've recently gotten AT&T U-Verse, who, according to their privacy statement, will be monitoring my TV watching habits for advertisement purposes. I'm extremely annoyed by that, yet I love the service so much and I don't think I can cancel it. I just can't take this anymore. I have nothing to hide, but I do not want to be profiled and become member #5534289 in a database somewhere that records everything I do. I know I'm not that interesting to anyone, but the idea of someone being able to pull up everything about me with a simple SQL SELECT statement and a couple of JOINS makes me cringe. One of the reasons I hate data mining is that data security is not understood and almost non-existent at a lot of places. Case in point: I changed my life insurance two years ago, and the medical firm that conducted my health screening was broken into and computers with non-encrypted hard drives and patients' data were stolen. That medical firm didn't really need my SSN, but then again neither did AT&T when I signed up for U-Verse. Am I just too paranoid? Is privacy dead? Should I just give up and accept the fact that privacy is not the norm anymore (like Facebook's founder recently said) or should I keep fighting the good fight for my privacy?"'
Close record.

Create job "MineSoulskill5534289" "Compare record Soulskill5534289 against all known databases".
Queueing job "MineSoulskill5534289". Monitor job queue for job status.

RE: Privacy war

[gad_zuki!]

Thank you for being a loyal AT&T U-verse customer! We have received your email and have created a trouble ticket for you automatically by monitoring your web postings. Please submit both a fresh semen sample and a two day old fecal sample so our customer service reps can verify your information and begin to investigate the issue.

Thank you. AT&T Customer Service.

Re:Inherent privacy is dead.

[ShakaUVM]

>>Personal data mining will continue - it will only become more automated.

Mr. Shepard: Our records indicate that you have been dead for the last two years. Have you ever considered looking into Asari burial shrouds? Our burial shrouds are of the finest quality, hand-woven on the Asari homeworld by skilled artisans. You'll appreciate the difference the next time you die!

Try to skew their stats, if you must...

[mi]

If you can neither accept being the statistics (and you seem to admit, that you can't put together a rational explanation for your aversion), nor avoid it, try screwing them up...

I share the same syndrome as you (although, perhaps, to a lesser degree), so this is, what I do:

• Whenever asked for an address (except when I am expecting to receive something from the asker), I put in 0 Privacy Drive, MyTown, My State, MYZIP . The credit-card verification, in reality, needs only the ZIP-code, so for "billing address" this is enough. And for the vendors knowing my ZIP-code is enough to know, what they need to know for their stats-gathering efforts, but robs them of the ability to mail me their "exciting new specials" later.
• When signing-up for a store "discount card", in addition to the address-trick above (you can use a bogus name too), be sure to either share the same card (the store will give you multiple ones with the same number) with as many relatives/friends as you can. First you (well, the one of you, who gets to the store on the lucky day) will get the bonus-points discounts faster, and second, the stats will be sufficiently skewed by the multiple people and their preferences. This is somewhat bad for the store, so I, instead, just exchange the cards with others. The store still knows, that the same person bought A and B, they just don't know, who that person really was.
• When forced to give out e-mail address online, use the VendorName@yourdomain. If the vendor abuses your trust (such as by automatically adding you to their e-mailing list), you can block that single address. If you don't have your own domain (how come?) you could use yourself+ Vendorname@gmail.com for the same purpose (it is a shame, Yahoo! Mail does not support the sub-address). Unfortunately, many vendors' sites — including highly prominent ones like the Enom-registrar reject the sub-addressing e-mails as "invalid" — the verifying regular expressions must be too complicated for the dumb programmer wannabees, employed by these companies. This is where having your own domain is very useful.
• When asked for personal data in person, ask to explain, why the information is needed. If the clerk says, oh, I just need it for the computer, ask, if it can be avoided, or given later. For example, some companies insist on creating a full record, when you are just asking for a quote... Don't get confrontational — just explain, that you'll give your last name and address, when you pick their bid. If they insist, give the address as described in item 1...

What if you are privately gay?

[elucido]

Leviticus 20:13:
"If a man lies with a man...They must be put to death."

If you are gay, and a jew, and you voted for Obama.... it's only a matter of time before the Christians who take Leviticus seriously find out where you live.

Re:What if you are privately gay?

[Bengie]

I found this on the web. Great points to bring up.

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination... End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is, my neighbours. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath.Exodus 35:2. Clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle- room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16.Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

Re:Accept and enjoy!

[ArcherB]

Until you walk by an e-billboard and a loud commercial for some herpes treatment starts up.

That can work two ways. Consider the following:

You finally made it to the magical third date. You have a good idea as to what will happen, but you know she holds the cards. You took special care to clean your undercarriage and wear the underwear that has no holes or stains. You meet her at the restaurant. She is wearing something sexy! You... Are... In!

After a flawless dinner where you managed to not say anything stupid and she laughed at all your jokes, you are walking with her back to your car, hand in hand. You pass by one of the new billboards that recognizes your ID card's chip and gives you the new personal ads. You wonder what add will you get this time; WOW4? Duke Nukem Forever Expansion? XBox720? The new Android V? Nope. It looks like it picked up her card first.

Worried about your genital herpes? Try Herpago and get those bumps GONE!

We had a great evening. What, you think I'm going to let a virus filled pus pockets stop me? It's not like I get this chance very often. I'm a Slashdot user after all.

Re:Losing the war..

[BronsCon]

We're not there QUITE yet, but that's not stopping me from armor plating my walls and installing a drive-thru with a tunnel-and-cart pulley system in my back yard.

You know, to sell the guns, knives, and pipes I've been stocking up on when the time comes.

Are we over using 'war' and question headlines?

[AP31R0N]

Yes. Yes we are.

Re:You surrendered.

[XB-70]

Offer to live at other people's homes and pay cash for any and all services. Move monthly. Buy fake ID. Get psychologically weirded out. Commit suicide because you are such a social leper that you have no one to talk to about the latest gossip about the stars.

So what you are saying is:

[Tired and Emotional]

On the Internet, everyone knows you are a dog.

Re:The offensive part.

[jeti]

Achievement "COUCH POTATO" unlocked!

There you go.