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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