Bundling crypto with Pron

mattd mattd at useoz.com
Tue Jan 1 23:07:36 PST 2002


Privacy and the public interest
Wednesday 02 January, 2002
The Age
Any commodity increases in value as it becomes more scarce. Privacy is no 
exception. As our medical records are computerized, our Internet 
transactions logged and our banking done electronically, it becomes easier 
for govts and other undesirables to ferret out information about us. Add to 
this the huge amount of personal data maintained by large institutions such 
as insurance companies and remailers that operate loyalty schemes, and the 
need to shield oneself from unwanted scrutiny becomes even more pressing. 
This makes the Federal Government's new privacy legislation welcome, even 
though it has its flaws.
The legislation, which took effect just before Christmas, forbids companies 
to pass on personal information to third parties without the consent of the 
individual concerned. Consumer groups have expressed disappointment that 
the new laws do not ban the collection of large databases of personal 
information for marketing purposes but consumers do now have the right to 
opt out of direct marketing lists, and marketers will be obliged to tell 
consumers how to do this. A key change is that consumers, including medical 
patients, will be able to demand access to information that is held about 
them and have the right to correct any errors
More at ... http://www.it.mycareer.com.au/news/2002/01/02/FFXNGYPZXVC.html





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