USA India
Home Articles UserTV Press Releases Dictionary Books Education Careers B-Channels Resources Forums Blogs Classifieds
Friday 4 Jul, 2008 eNewsletter Register Login
Archives
Articles By Date
Articles By Category
 
 
 Archives >> Details
Enemy of the Net
Posted by : Jeff Barbian

John sat at his desk, staring down at the thick dossier he'd just received via messenger. A week earlier he had employed a Net-detective agency with a come-on that read: "The place to find, locate and track down anybody! We offer locate searches, marketing profile searches, DMV driver and vehicle searches, telephone record searches, financial and bank searches, criminal and property records, plus hundreds of free searches. Discover the secrets of the people with whom you associate." All they required was a name. John wasn't interested in snooping on sketchy neighbors, defaming some enemy, or digging for dirt on his boss. He just wanted to see what Big Brother and his extended family knew about him. As it turned out, to John's alarm, they knew a lot.

The file filled 82 pages. The photo clipped to page one was from his driver's license. The basics were all there: Home and e-mail addresses, phone number, Social Security number, height, and weight. Then followed more intimate items: His religious affiliation, the make and year of his car, the value of his house; the name and age of his son, where his son attends junior high, and his current teacher.

It had the skinny on John's current job and salary, and every previous employer going back 10 years; everywhere he's ever lived, his current neighbors and their addresses and phone numbers. It had his military records; his cell phone DNS number; a summary of his assets, including such particulars as his account number; his mother's maiden name; and what he owes on his boat loan and on each credit card.

The scope and breadth of his file went even further. There were his telephone records, information on every traffic violation he's ever received, and an indecent exposure citation from his college days; his dental records and the prescription medicine he takes for hypertension and high blood pressure. It listed the names and e-mail addresses of more than 20 people he regularly communicates with, and the URLs of frequented Web sites, as well as how long he stayed at each address, and the CDs and books he bought online.

With such particulars, one could determine what he had for supper last night, where he buys his gas, that he's a pack-a-day smoker, and how much he lost in Vegas last spring. They can see that he has a penchant for 12-year-old Scotch and German lagers, the Green Party, action-adventure films and the occasional peek at online pornography.

John's experience illuminates one of the most contentious issues facing the Information Age: Our right to privacy. As the free-market flow of goods and services migrates to the Internet, the gathering of consumer market demographics has made privacy one of our most assaulted civil liberties. Online, our interests, habits, patterns, and preferences seep through a sieve of trap doors, windows, portals and peepholes. Cookies crumble onto our hard drives, swarming traceable bugs over millions of computers, and it's all, for now, a legitimate practice.

"The very technology that was supposed to free us from mass society and the conformity of mass media has turned out to be as much a fishbowl as an information highway. In modern society, we have discovered that being free often means also being naked," writes Charles J. Sykes in his book "The End of Privacy" (St. Martin's Press).

We know where you're going today

Most of us, willingly or otherwise, relent a little of ourselves every time we go online. Web sites compel us to fill out questionnaires and entice us into sweepstakes as a payoff for content, or surreptitiously drop cookies on our hard drives that allow ad agencies to trace our movements and cross-reference our vitals with other profile lists. We're willing to suffer banner ads and spam, while the Internet unites vast networks of databases from government and third-party compilers that are open for inspection with remarkably little effort and money.

All this information may seem basic and benign, but in a different context our footprints can lead to character inferences of alcohol abuse, gambling, sexual orientation, political views and medical conditions--information that would be of great interest to potential creditors, insurers, and employers who could use it to draw damaging conclusions and make decisions affecting our lives without our knowledge.

"Our fears have nothing to do with your getting customized banner ads or too much junk mail. This is potentially about whether you will get a loan, a job, or health insurance," says Jim Dempsey, policy analyst for the Center for Democracy and Technology, a privacy advocate firm in Washington, D.C.

Big Brother Meets Big Browser

Personal information is blue-chip currency, and the big business of selling and exchanging consumer profiles is beginning to raise eyebrows. Privacy groups are bemoaning recent mergers from several online and offline profile miners, arguing that, in tandem, mixed databases provide dramatically more detailed portraits. In November, DoubleClick, by far the largest online data-mining, ad-serving company, dropped $1.7 billion to acquire the offline market research firm Abacus Direct, which maintains more than 80 million personalized consumer profiles. Combining online and offline habits, privacy advocates feel, goes too far.

"This merger is the most dangerous assault against anonymity on the Internet since the Intel processor serial number,'' says Junkbusters President Jason Catlett. "By synchronizing cookies with name and address from e-mail, registrations and e-commerce transactions, the merged company would have a surveillance database of Orwellian proportions."

Equifax, one of the country's three major credit reporting bureaus, announced in February its $260 million buyout of Polk, whose demographics and lifestyles data form one of the largest and most detailed psychographic databases in the world.

Says Catlett, "Media are converging, and so should privacy standards. AOL already gets a huge amount of personal information about the behavior of its members, and this will greatly increase following the merger. That information deserves strong legal protection, especially since AOL's record on privacy is poor."

Corporations aren't the only database profiteers. Governments and municipalities track us from birth to the grave with the ostensible aim of practical record keeping and as an altruistic means to preserve national security. But in "The End of Privacy," Sykes details how governments "are making tens of millions of dollars selling public records to junk mailers and other businesses." This means such official data as medical and pharmaceutical histories, motor vehicle and IRS files, legal proceedings, and business dealings are gathered and used for purposes unrelated to the original reason they were obtained.

Unreasonable Searches and Seizures

While the right to privacy is generally regarded as a constitutionally accepted doctrine, it is not explicitly stated in the Constitution; and legal precedents only seem to extend the gray area. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis argued passionately for individual privacy, based on the penumbra of rights laid out in the Fourth Amendment ("The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated") and Fifth Amendment (" ... nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation").

In Olmstead v. United States, a 1928 case concerning wiretapping and government surveillance, the Supreme Court's majority ruled that wiretapping of telephone conversations did not violate the Fourth Amendment, reasoning that because wiretaps were placed outside the physical home, there was no government intrusion, and therefore, no Fourth Amendment protection. Brandeis dissented: "The makers of our Constitution ... sought to protect Americans in their beliefs, their thoughts, their emotions and their sensations. They conferred as against the Government, the right to be let alone--the most comprehensive of the rights of man and the right most valued by civilized men."

Today, privacy groups are divided on how to best ensure proper disclosure and assurance measures to protect consumer privacy. Some groups, like the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), feel the government should lead the way in establishing baseline legislation. Others, like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Electronic Frontier Foundation--as well as (go figure) the marketing industry, favor self-regulation, whereby sites would police themselves.

But EPIC's own survey of how the top 100 e-tailers handle consumer data shows that the level of self-regulation thus far is hardly reassuring. Of the 100 sites, 86 used cookies to track click-throughs, while more than one-third conducted profile-based advertising without clearly informing consumers.

The happy medium, backed by such groups as the Center for Democracy and Technology and consumer activist Ralph Nader, calls for extensive privacy policies that should conform to a government standard, complete with a sound security infrastructure including user controls that allow consumers to opt out of cookie placements and other passive data collection. This seems like the best bet to safeguard personal liberties without stifling the Internet animal.

Even if you trust the intent and integrity of the people behind the sites you frequent, and you happen to find targeted ads and tailored content a boon, your information may still be at risk to security invasion. Internet users, in their growing millions, have the collective power to impel change and push privacy issues to the fore. Seek out sites offering sound privacy policies that give you the option to conduct your business incognito, or that ask your permission to share your online portrait with other profilers. Loyalty and repeat business to these sites will send a message to the Internet community that fostering customer relationships means more than a well-placed ad.

Writes Sykes, "The Net will realize its potential for hypergrowth only when it resolves concerns over the privacy and security of information transmitted through cyberspace. Privacy may be worth uncounted billions of dollars."

Jeff Barbian is ComputerUser's associate editor.

Sidebar:Take Control of Your Online Identity

In the movie "Enemy of the State," a subversive expatriate played by Gene Hackman says, "The more technology you use, the easier it is to keep tabs on you." In surfing the Web, simply logging on can pinpoint your geographic location. Many companies that send junk e-mail are including ID tags encased within a message that places a cookie on your hard drive. This potentially links the cookie with your e-mail address that follows you to every site on an ad network. Here are steps you can take to cover your tracks:

Enonymous.com has researched and ranked more than 30,000 sites based on their privacy practices. Its recently launched site Privacy Ratings lists all its four-star-rated sites--sites that never share personally identifiable information with third parties.

Anonymizer lets you browse the Web using an intermediary to prevent unauthorized parties from gathering your personal information.

Freedom, from Zero Knowledge Systems, sends Internet traffic through a series of detours. Your identity and location are all protected from prying eyes.

Cookie Central covers the ins and outs of where the cookies crumble, including how to eliminate them from your Web diet.

The Internet Junkbuster claims to disable 99 percent of cookies and banner ads. It's free software that you can download, install and distribute.

For details on how to selectively accept cookies on Netscape and Internet Explorer, go to Junkbusters.com.

Other sites fighting for your right to privacy:
Electric Privacy Information Center
Center for Democracy and Technology
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Junkbusters
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility.

 
 
Archives by Date
 
 
 
 
 
Copyright © 2008 ComputerUser Inc.
About us | Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Legal | Trademark/Copyright | Awards | Advertise | Writer guidelines | Sitemap | Contact | FAQ's | Feedback  | Link to us

Here are the topics we cover computer certification computer careers computer training computer games consulting data recovery data security digital entertainment emerging technology gadget reviews handheld computers hardware reviews home automation home networks home office how-to advice internet linux local companies local news local profiles macintosh mp3 players network security online music online security open-source small-business technology soho software reviews technology books technology dictionary vpn web site reviews wi-fi windows wireless technology tech articles tech news press releases tech dictionary education resources career solutions create your personal blog upload your videos become a writer usergroups special interest group SIG 3com cipts adobe adobe certified expert apc ncpi apple achds acpt acsa actc avaya bea 8.1 certified administrator 8.1 certified architect 8.1 certified developer 9 certified administrator bicsi rcdd checkpoint ccmse ccsa ccsa ngx ccse ccse ng plus with ai ccse ngx cisco access routing and lan switching ccda ccdp ccie ccip ccna ccnp ccnp old ccsp ccvp crmam ip communications optical proctored exams for validating knowledge sales specialist storage networking vpn and security wireless lan citrix cca 3.0 cca 4.0 cca 4.5 cca xp ccea 3.0 ccea 4.0 ccea xp ccia ciw ciw associate ciw certified instructor master ciw admin master ciw designer master ciw enterprise developer security analyst comptia a+ network+ security+ server+ computer associates ca cusa cuse cwna cwna cwsp dell eccouncil cea cep certified ethical hacker chfi e-commerce architect emc emc specialist implemenation technology foundations enterasys ese eta exam express exin exin itil extreme networks ena ens filemaker f7cd f8cd fortinet fortigate foundry cne fujitsu fujitsu guidance software ence hdi css hda hdm hdsa hitachi hitachi certified professional hp ais apc app aps ase certified systems developer csa cse master ase huawei hcne hyperion hcp ibm advanced deployment professional advanced technical expert application developer business process analyst certified administrator certified advanced system administrator certified advanced technical expert certified associate developer certified enterprise developer certified solution designer certified specialist certified systems expert database administrator db2 deployment professional enterprise developer eserver certified specialist ibm on demand business solution advisor solution designer solutions developer solutions expert storage administrator system administator iisfa cifi intel isaca cisa isc cissp sscp iseb itil ism cpm juniper jncia jncis legato lcaa lcea lotus clp lpi lpic level 1 lpic level 2 lpic level 3 macromedia mcafee mcdata csnd microsoft crm mbs mcad .net mcdba mcdst mcitp mcp mcpd mcsa longhorn mcsa 2003 mcsa 2008 mcsd .net mcse mcse 2000 security mcse 2000 to mcse 2003 upgrade mcse 2003 mcse 2003 messaging mcse 2003 security mcse 2008 mcts microsoft business solutions microsoft partner competency mile2 cnsa network appliance nac-na nac-nie naca nace nacp network general sniffer certified professional nokia nokia security administrator nortel ncde ncds ncse ncss ncts novell5 cna 5 cne 6 cna 6 cne 6.5 cne cne upgrade omg ocup oracle 10g dba 10g oca 11i 8i dba 9i dba 9i internet application developer oca ocp8 to ocp8i dba upgrade exam pmi project management professional polycom pcve redhat rhce rhct sair sas institute sas scp saas scp snia snia certified architect snia certified professional snia certified systems engineer snia storage networking certification program administrator professional associate symantec scse scsp scta scts teradata tca v2r5 tcad v2r5 tcda v2r5 tcis v2r5 tcm v2r5 tcp v2r5 tia ccnt ctp tibco tcp trusecure ticsa veritas infraguard chamber of commerce vcp vmware certified professional webex linkedin facebook myspace Professional page layout, image editing, vector illustration, and print production Website design, development, prototyping, and blogging Creation of rich interactive content Industry-standard visual effects and motion graphics Video capture, editing, and production; DVD titling; and digital audio, Adobe Photoshop CS3 extended, Adobe illustrator CS3,Adobe indesign CS3,Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, Adobe Dreamweaver CS3,Adobe Contribute CS3,Adobe Fireworks CS3,Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional, Adobe Premiere Pro CS3,Adobe Soundbooth CS3,Adobe Encore CS3,Adobe OnLocation,Adobe Bridge CS3,Adobe Version Cue CS3,Adobe Device Central CS3,Adobe Stock Photos, Intel Pentium 4 (1.4GHz processor for DV; 3.4GHz processor for HDV), Intel Centrino, Intel Xeon, (dual 2.8GHz processors for HD), or Intel Core, Duo (or compatible) processor; SSE2-enabled processor required for AMD systems Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise (certified for 32-bit editions) 1GB of RAM for DV; 2GB of RAM for HDV and HD; more RAM recommended when running multiple components 10GB of available hard-disk space (additional free space required during installation) Dedicated 7,200 RPM hard drive for DV and HDV editing; striped disk array storage (RAID 0) for HD; SCSI disk subsystem preferred Microsoft DirectX compatible sound card (multichannel ASIO-compatible sound card recommended),1,280x1,024 monitor resolution with 32-bit color adapter Blu-ray burner required for Blu-ray Disc creation OHCI compatible IEEE 1394 port for DV and HDV capture, export to tape, and transmit to DV device QuickTime 7.1.2 software required to use QuickTime features Broadband Internet connection required for Adobe Stock Photos* and other services