Good article on online privacy

I see the topic's been coming up here recently and Bruce Schneier wrote a great article that will bring you up to date on just how terrible everything is, minus the horrors Google Glass will soon bring us:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/16/opinion/schneier-internet-surveillance/index.html

GameboyRMH wrote: I see the topic's been coming up here recently and Bruce Schneier wrote a great article that will bring you up to date on just how terrible everything is, minus the horrors Google Glass will soon bring us: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/16/opinion/schneier-internet-surveillance/index.html

Ha! I just added that as a link to the long running "Stupidest thing I heard" thread.

google glass might be the end of privacy as we know it

Privacy? What privacy? Ain't no such thang. People have always left a trail which could be followed, even in the pre-Internet age. Secret services the world over used to read letters without opening envelopes by spraying them with Freon (makes the paper almost transparent for a few seconds) and taking a picture, then puzzling it out.

To generate an Email, FB message, forum post etc and to expect it or the poster's identity to remain private is a laughable idea.

Curmudgeon wrote: Secret services the world over used to read letters without opening envelopes by spraying them with Freon (makes the paper almost transparent for a few seconds) and taking a picture, then puzzling it out.

This isn't the same. We live in an age where private companies compile a detailed composite of you with information they glean, infer, purchase or whatever.

Parties in play are private, quasi-private and governments. You have no real ability to opt-out because everything you do financially, insurance, mortgage, credit cards, health care, etc... is in a database you do not have any control over.

Sometimes it's the obvious stuff like that or putting yourself out there on FB but there are efforts to serve up facial recognition to broad surveillance that uses all kids of input from passport / DMV photos to facebook tags that don't get much press ( except around superbowl time ) but they are far along and accurate. People who used to fear the EZ-Pass are way behind on technology now.

I honestly think the time for changing it is past. Privacy laws used to make it a jail sentence for reading the neighbor's mail... now we have google glass putting everyone on the internet immediately.

Welcome to the new world. Hope it doesn't get too well organized before I die of old age. I don't want to have to pretend to tow the line or risk a drone strike.

Tinfoil hat you say? Maybe... but just recall what an organized, motivated government was able to achieve by just getting the jews to identify themselves. They did it without the technology to do it without their knowledge.

Cheers!

I realize it's not the same. The purpose was to illustrate that no matter the level of technology someone somewhere will find a way to pierce the veil of so called privacy.

The government doing it is bad enough, when companies datamine so they can send me more spam Emails etc it tees me off. It's why I don't give out my phone number at the grocery stores, even though they say they don't sell it (and if anyone here believes that I have a nice bridge for you on easy payments).

There are people who get all bowed up over invasion of privacy and then blather about it on Facebook. I think Mark Zuckerberg should go down in history as the guy who got the sheeple to slavishly give away their personal information under the guise of social interaction.

I'm far more worried about private industries finding better and better ways of brainwashing the populace into buying things they don't need more so than I am the government searching for domestic terrorism.

Curmudgeon wrote: There are people who get all bowed up over invasion of privacy and then blather about it on Facebook. I think Mark Zuckerberg should go down in history as the guy who got the sheeple to slavishly give away their personal information under the guise of social interaction.

There is a certain irony there. Make something fun, and people will joyfully give away everything

PHeller wrote: I'm far more worried about private industries finding better and better ways of brainwashing the populace into buying things they don't need more so than I am the government searching for domestic terrorism.

Know what's funny? I did a short rant about the stinky catbox. Immediately got sidebar ads for kitty litter. I'm talking I went to walmart.com to look for something and damn kitty litter ads popped up.

Curmudgeon wrote:

PHeller wrote: I'm far more worried about private industries finding better and better ways of brainwashing the populace into buying things they don't need more so than I am the government searching for domestic terrorism.

Know what's funny? I did a short rant about the stinky catbox. Immediately got sidebar ads for kitty litter. I'm talking I went to walmart.com to look for something and damn kitty litter ads popped up.

Good thing you didn't post something about having zits.

I think privacy is important which is why I have been tweeting about it all week! I have been telling people to keep their thoughts private. I even had a guy I didn't know agree with me!! I am going to start a FB page on privacy today!!

I can only say this.. I hope they make the damn thinks illegal to wear while driving