Big Brother is Watching

Today more and more people use their cell phones for email, the Internet, texting, as well as making phone calls. While this makes live easier for many, most people are unaware of the complications it can present as well. If you use of these functions offered by your phone, the phone company has records of it. Depending on the company you use, this means that the government also has these records. AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth have all given millions of users’ records to the NSA. The FBI has also abused the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in order to secure records from these same companies. All of this was done without the customers’ consent or notification, often in direct violation of existing telecommunications privacy laws.

Perhaps even scarier are the baby steps towards censorship that these same phone companies are taking. On Sept. 27, Verizon announced that it would block the text messages from a pro-abortion group. Although the decision was reversed fairly quickly in response to public outcry, both Verizon and AT&T released service agreements that state they have the right to suspend the service of anyone whose conduct is unacceptable.

These statements make it clear that these companies are indeed monitoring their customers’ private communications, and are in fact passing judgment on them.
Privacy used to be something that people could take for granted. Those days are over. National security is important, but so are civil liberties. Cell phones have opened up a whole new world, one that has the possibility, if people aren’t paying attention, of resembling an Orwell novel.

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2191479,00.asp
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2191092,00.asp

The Assault on Privacy by Technology in Modern Times

The controversial issue of privacy is coming to the forefront more and more often in our modern civilization. As technology evolves, so does the need for redefining how privacy is handled by big business, government agencies, and individuals themselves. In this information and technology driven society, keeping your personal information private is more important than ever. Currently, personal information is being bought, sold, exchanged, and stolen in a public environment (at an alarming rate) with both good and bad intentions via the Internet. In the book Database Nation, Simson Garfinkel (who writes a monthly column for CSO Magazine and has a multitude of computer science degrees from MIT) discusses how the main issue of privacy involves the civil rights of people to be in charge of their own information about their life and to develop a system that protects that right of privacy. Garfinkel also agrees that without privacy protection, this country could slip into an “Orwellian” state of mind, whereas nothing about our lives will be private, not even our thoughts.
Conversely, that same right to privacy, that we enjoy so much, could also leave us vulnerable to terrorism by protecting terrorists’ rights of privacy. This would hinder or prevent our local and federal law enforcement agencies’ ability to investigate people who may be planning terrorism activities. Advocates on this side of the coin might say “Maybe if there was less privacy among citizens of the United States, then disasters such as 9/11 might not have ever happened?” This might be true, but for every one successful terrorist attack that slips through the cracks; there are hundreds of others that were foiled before they could carry out their plan.
As it stands, technology is one of the primary factors involved in the invasion of privacy. One of the most popular ways of invading someone’s privacy, using this technology, is to track their Internet surfing habits. This can tell you all that you need to know about that person. Just imagine if you are out on Saturday afternoon and you had to run some errands or do some shopping and you had someone following you around everywhere. They would have a pretty good idea of what type of buying habits and interests you might have. Then, they would collect this information and sell it to the highest bidder. This is where we’re heading to if we don’t nip this situation it in the bud, so to speak.
This same technology that can invade our privacy can also help to protect it. When your computer is filled with spy-ware, viruses, and Trojans, it’s almost as if you’ve been cyber-mugged. It’s no different than being mugged on the street. The thief can get away with your money, identity, and your privacy without ever having to leave their house. If you clean your computer’s cache on a daily basis, run an internal/external firewall, and have an up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware programs running at all times, you can avoid being tracked and mugged online. Now, the tables have turned as you can use some of the very same type of tools that were used to attack you can now be used to conceal and protect your privacy.
If we change one of our fundamental civil rights, then we are letting the terrorists know that they are succeeding. Their realization of this success may increase the volume and number of terrorists’ attacks. If we don’t do something about the protection of our privacy on the Internet; big business, smalltime hackers, and the government will enjoy an unregulated free-for-all with all of the private information that they are able to collect on us. If we choose to continue down this path, eventually we will get to a point where privacy will be a thing of the past and all of our hopes, dreams, and aspirations will be for sale to the highest bidder. So, Big Brother, how much private information would you like to buy today?

Google to call for web privacy shake-up

Millions of people use Google, everyday to conduct searches for websites, news, images, maps, and just about anything else you can find on the web. In the past they have had a bad reputation in the privacy area. What does this have to do with you? In the past it has been pointed out that they weren't keeping our (the average users) personal information too private. Well, they are now taking steps to ensure that our information doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
Friday, Google plans to propose that there be new international privacy laws made. This would help keep your personal information from the eyes of others. Google's global privacy counsel (Peter Fleischer), says that the OECD or some other international body, should develop new international privacy guidelines. The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development is a international organisation that deals with issues having to do with economic growth.
Google is trying to restore the image they have had due to past criticism. Since, the European Union data protection bodies pointed out that Google stored your personal information for way to long. They were also criticised by Privacy International as being really bad in the department of keeping personal information, personal. Google also has made changes to the length of time they store personal information to 18 monthes. They are also working with Privacy International to regain face.
Fleischer is going to protest that the Internet privacy rules are out of date and need to be replaced with new ones. There hasn't been changes in it since 1995 which is 7 years ago so much innovation has happened since then. He is going to suggest that they use privacy rules Asian ministers established the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation conference in 2004 Of course these international rules would be more unspecific and would allow each nation to decide how to enforce them.
I don't know about you but if this plan is implemented and they update the privacy laws, I will feel a little more ease when using the Internet, with my personal information. This is one step in the battle of keeping you the customer safe from crimes such as identity theft, and other attacks on your information. Every time you go on the web at least some of your information is sent out to the world, what's to keep it from falling into the wrong hands? This is definitely a positive development for web users, no matter who you are.