Bruce Schneier provides his thoughts on the ChoicePoint fiasco, noting that until companies like ChoicePoint are forced to absorb (financially) the full costs of ID theft, they'll continue to treat our personal information merely as a commodity:Identity theft is the…
Category: Issues
ChoicePoint Victims Could Lose Twice
Wired News reports that citizens who fall victim to ID theft becuase of the ChoicePoint debacle will find it difficult to recover damages for their losses if they decide to seek recourse against ChoicePoint:Legal experts say that people who suffered…
Public library lends out book-filled iPods
Perhaps this will ease my concerns about transitioning from reading books on the subway to becoming one in the army of iPod clones. Unmediated reports that a public library is beginning to loan audio books pre-loaded on iPod Shuffles.
Curse of the Secret Question
It appears that Paris Hilton's Sidekick was hacked becuase her secret question was "What's your favorite pet's name?" The answer, of course, was her dog, Tinkerbell, who is almost as famous as she is.This is what Bruce Schneier has called…
iPod People in their own iWorld
Andrew Sullivan writes a commentary (very much aligned with Christine Rosen's thoughtful essay) about the "iPod people" of New York:There were little white wires hanging down from their ears, or tucked into pockets, purses or jackets. The eyes were a…
Google Calendar Next?
Search Engine News reports speculation that Google might soon launch its own Calendar tool. If true, I'm sure it'll be a useful and attractive tool, likely based on Apple's iCal calendar program. What this also means, however, is that Google…
France’s Top Librarian Attacks Google Online Library
TechNewsWorld reports that The National Library of France is not happy with Google's effort to scan and integrate millions of books into its Web search. Jean-Noel Jeanneney, President of the library, wrote in an editorial that he is concerned Google's…
Read More France’s Top Librarian Attacks Google Online Library
More Over-Reliance on “Calculative Thinking” of Technology
Building on this discussion of the dangers with our reliance on the calculative thinking of technology over human reason, Techdirt finds another example courtesy of the Denver police:They're blaming a computer glitch for not helping them connect a series of…
Read More More Over-Reliance on “Calculative Thinking” of Technology
The ChoicePoint Data Security Breach: What It Means for You, and How to Find Out What ChoicePoint Knows about You
In the aftermath of the ChoicePoint security breach(here and here), the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has produced a lengthy page on what the incident means to you and what data aggregators like ChoicePoint may have on you:Many consumers who contact the…
Call to add privacy rights to Japan’s constitution
ComuterWorld reports that a senior legislator in Japan is calling for the addition of data privacy rights to the country's constitution:An influential Japanese politician earlier this month called for the right to information privacy to be added to the country's…
Read More Call to add privacy rights to Japan’s constitution
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