Targeting your privacy

[tigertoy]

A mailing list I'm on linked to a story on the power of corporate data mining that anyone who isn't already worried about privacy issues really ought to pay attention to.  It seems that through statistical analysis of the stuff we buy, Target can identify when women are pregnant with a pretty high rate of success.  And, it seems, identifying

Comments

[catsittingstill]

I read that story too; it's pretty disturbing. And the implications are even more disturbing.

[polyfrog]

"What I'm trying to get at is that we need to place fundamental limits, not on what information is stored, but on how it can be used."

I don't think it is impossible to limit what information can be stored. I think it improbable that any such limits will be implemented or or followed if they are implemented, so I agree with you that there should also be limits on how any information that is collected is used.

But look at the case of the PATRIOT act and the librarians: When it became clear that the spooks could use a secret subpoena to look at the lending records of any patron, and there was nothing librarians could do about it, they just quietly redesigned their systems so that they no longer retain that information. All the library knows now is what you have out right now. They have records about when and how often a book has gone out, but they no longer know and so can not tell anyone who checked out what when. Redesigning a system so as not to collect information is certainly possible.

[shockwave77598]

This is easily defeated. Do NOT use a credit card for the purchase - cash only. And do NOT use a customer ID card either.