DOCSLIB.ORG

Consumers Online: Your Rights to Privacy in Cyberspace Nancy Lazar

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Consumers Online: Your Rights to Privacy in Cyberspace Nancy Lazar Loyola Consumer Law Review Volume 10 | Issue 2 Article 3 1998 Consumers Online: Your Rights to Privacy in Cyberspace Nancy Lazar Follow this and additional works at: http://lawecommons.luc.edu/lclr Part of the Consumer Protection Law Commons Recommended Citation Nancy Lazar Consumers Online: Your Rights to Privacy in Cyberspace, 10 Loy. Consumer L. Rev. 117 (1998). Available at: http://lawecommons.luc.edu/lclr/vol10/iss2/3 This Recent Legislative Activity is brought to you for free and open access by LAW eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Loyola Consumer Law Review by an authorized administrator of LAW eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RECENT LEGISLATIVE by Nancy Lazar ACTIVITY Consumers Online: Your Right to Privacy in Cyberspace "According to some predictions, applied federal laws safeguarding consumer nearly one billion people will be privacy to commercial transactions in online in the next 10 years. If people cyberspace, the protection of consumer privacy are uncomfortable sending personal online is limited. For instance, although information over the Internet, the Congress amended the Electronic largest potential consumer market Communications Privacy Act of 1986, 18 will be closed to nearly every U.S.C. § 2510 - 2710 (1982 Supp. IV 1986) company in the world," according to ("Act"), to prevent Internet service providers Joseph L. Dionne, chairman and from releasing personal information of their CEO of The McGraw-Hill members to a government agency absent a legal Companies, a leading information request, the Act does not explicitly prohibit services provider. Internet service providers from distributing the members' private information to any individual A Business Week/Louis Harris & Associates or entity outside of government. Furthermore, survey released on March 4, 1998 noted that the Act fails to provide adequate remedies for consumers' concerns about the protection of those whose privacy was violated in their privacy in cyberspace will significantly cyberspace. For instance, the Act does not impede the growth of online electronic include any immediate punishments or commerce in the U.S. The survey found that deterrents for violators of consumer privacy many American consumers believe entering online. In addition, the law fails to establish a personal information into cyberspace poses a mechanism by which private information potential threat to their privacy. Seventy-eight illegally obtained over the Internet can be percent of Americans who use online services excluded from civil or criminal court stated they would use the Internet more if they proceedings. As a result, consumers who use were confident that the Internet system the Internet are not guaranteed true and safeguarded the privacy of their individual complete protection of their right to privacy in information and communications. Similarly, in a cyberspace. The absence of a strict, clear policy recent Georgia Institute of Technology survey on consumer privacy on the Internet and of 10,000 online users, privacy in cyberspace consumer reluctance to participate in online was considered the greatest challenge to the electronic commerce absent privacy protection development of online electronic commerce. has caused the President, Congress, state Since consumer participation in online government, and the information industry itself commercial transactions is a relatively recent to create guidelines on privacy safeguards for phenomenon, the law governing the use of the consumers using the Internet. Internet is obscure. While some courts have 1998 Loyola University Chicago School ofLaw •117 President Clinton Urges Private Industry Requests Limited Aid Industry to Create Internet Privacy from Government in Regulating Safeguards the Internet On July 1, 1997, President Clinton began the In response to President Clinton's surge towards developing online privacy recommendations for the regulation of the guidelines when he approved and issued "A Internet, 11 leading American high-technology Framework for Global Electronic Commerce," companies formed a coalition, the Computer an extensive report describing the role the Systems Policy Project, and issued an 18-page federal government will assume in the evolving position paper on the development of the electronic marketplace. Clinton believes that electronic marketplace on November 18, 1997. "[g]overnment officials should respect the Members of the Policy Project are chief unique nature of the medium and recognize that executive officers of companies including widespread competition and increased Apple Computer Inc., Compaq Computer consumer choice should be the defining Corp., Data General Corp., Digital Equipment features of the new digital marketplace. They Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., International should adopt a market-oriented approach to Business Machines Corp., NCR Corp., Silicon electronic commerce that facilitates the Graphics Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc., Stratus emergence of a global, transparent,and Computer Inc., and Unisys Corp. To quicken predictable legal environment to support the development of online electronic commerce business and commerce. The report's author, and to gain consumer faith in the electronic Ira Magaziner, the President's senior adviser on marketplace, the coalition urges both Congress Internet policy development, emphasizes and the White House to participate in the throughout the report that the federal creation of electronic commerce policy. government will take a passive role in the However, the coalition requests only limited regulation of electronic commerce. Rather than government involvement. enacting laws to protect the privacy of The coalition makes proposals on consumers online, the federal government controversial Internet issues, such as Internet wants to ensure the implementation of a clear, taxes and consumer privacy on the Internet. strict industry-created system that allows The CEOs propose a "tax neutral" system in consumers to protect themselves. The federal Internet commerce that would not discriminate government urges the information industry to based upon a consumer's method of purchasing set its own policies and procedures if it does a product. To prevent discriminatory and not want the government to play a significant multiple taxation upon Internet users, the role in regulating online commerce. coalition requests that Congress enact legislation that would place a moratorium on new Internet taxes until the information industry and federal and state governments collaboratively create a national standard for imposing Internet taxes. Moreover, the coalition urges the revision of the Uniform 118 * Loyola Consumer Law Review Volume 10, number 2 Recent Legislative Activity Commercial Code so that it would apply entirely absent from participating in Internet specifically to Internet transactions. regulation. Even though he recommended that Mr. Magaziner applauded the CEOs of the the industry itself create its own rules and major high-technology companies for their regulations for safeguarding consumers' immediate response and initiative in developing privacy on the Internet, regulating content, Internet policy. He views the coalition's work creating technical standards, and developing as "a very interesting, useful and helpful electronic payment systems, he believes that the initiative. The principles are consistent with federal government must actively participate in what we're hoping for. And, what's important the regulation of specific Internet policies, is they are stepping up and leading." including taxation, copyright protection, and encryption. Mr. Magaziner explained to industry leaders that "[i]n the Industrial Age, Government Asks Industry to governments passed laws to protect people. In Resolve Internet Privacy Issues at the Digital Age, the role of government will Policy Forum help ensure that regimes come in place in the private sector so people can protect leaders of the On January 8, 1998, themselves." information industry and government officials met to discuss the rapid evolution of Internet commerce at the Internet Policy & Law President Sets Firm Deadline for Forum's 1998 conference in Seattle, Industry to Create Internet Privacy Washington. Mr. Magaziner again urged Policy industry leaders to take immediate initiative in creating various Internet guidelines if they did To prompt information industry leaders into not want the government to play a significant creating their own rules on Internet privacy, role in the regulation of Internet commerce. He President Clinton has set a July 1, 1998 warned that there are currently more than 80 deadline for U.S. Secretary of Commerce bills before Congress concerning the regulation William Daley to submit to the President an of Internet privacy and suggested that if industry-led solution to protect the privacy of industry leaders failed to take quick initiative, consumers who go online. Even if the top the federal government will create more costly executives fail to develop an Internet privacy and less effective Internet policy. Mr. policy by the deadline date, Secretary Daley Magaziner explained to the nearly 150 chief stated that the administration insists upon executive officers of leading electronic industry leaders to at a minimum establish an commerce companies that the "slow-moving independent body of private-sector and bureaucratic" nature of government representatives by the set date. Such a group of prohibits government from keeping up with the industry
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Anonymity and Encryption in Digital Communications, February 2015
    Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression – anonymity and encryption in digital communications, February 201 1! Introduction Privacy International submits this information for the Special Rapporteur's report on the use of encryption and anonymity in digital communications. Anonymity and the use of encryption in digital communications engage both the right to freedom of expression and right to privacy very closely: anonymity and encryption protects privacy, and ithout effective protection of the right to privacy, the right of individuals to communicate anonymously and ithout fear of their communications being unla fully detected cannot be guaranteed. As noted by the previous mandate holder, !rank #aRue, $the right to privacy is essential for individuals to express themselves freely. Indeed, throughout history, people%s illingness to engage in debate on controversial sub&ects in the public sphere has al ays been linked to possibilities for doing so anonymously.'( Individuals' right to privacy extends to their digital communications.) As much as they offer ne opportunities to freely communicate, the proliferation of digital communications have signi*cantly increased the capacity of states, companies and other non+state actors to interfere ith individual's privacy and free expression. Such interference ranges from mass surveillance of communications by state intelligence agencies, to systematic collection and storage of private information by internet and telecommunication companies, to cybercrime. Anonymity and encryption are essential tools available to individuals to mitigate or avert interferences ith their rights to privacy and free expression. In this ay, they are means of individuals exercising to the fullest degree their rights hen engaging in digital communications.
    [Show full text]
  • Privacy on the Internet: the Vole Ving Legal Landscape Debra A
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Santa Clara University School of Law Santa Clara High Technology Law Journal Volume 16 | Issue 2 Article 10 January 2000 Privacy on the Internet: The volE ving Legal Landscape Debra A. Valentine Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/chtlj Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Debra A. Valentine, Privacy on the Internet: The Evolving Legal Landscape , 16 Santa Clara High Tech. L.J. 401 (2000). Available at: http://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/chtlj/vol16/iss2/10 This Symposium is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Santa Clara Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Santa Clara High Technology Law Journal by an authorized administrator of Santa Clara Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PRIVACY ON THE INTERNET: THE EVOLVING LEGAL LANDSCAPE Prepared Remarks of Debra A. Valentinet TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction ................................................................................ 401 II. Privacy on the Internet-The Evolving Legal Landscape ............. 403 A. Federal Trade Commission Act and Informational Privacy ........... 404 B. Other Federal Statutes and Informational Privacy ......................... 408 C. Federal Intemet-Law ................................................................... 410 III. Current Federal Policy on Internet Privacy .................................. 412 IV. The U.S. Approach
    [Show full text]
  • The Right to Privacy and the Future of Mass Surveillance’
    ‘The Right to Privacy and the Future of Mass Surveillance’ ABSTRACT This article considers the feasibility of the adoption by the Council of Europe Member States of a multilateral binding treaty, called the Intelligence Codex (the Codex), aimed at regulating the working methods of state intelligence agencies. The Codex is the result of deep concerns about mass surveillance practices conducted by the United States’ National Security Agency (NSA) and the United Kingdom Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). The article explores the reasons for such a treaty. To that end, it identifies the discriminatory nature of the United States’ and the United Kingdom’s domestic legislation, pursuant to which foreign cyber surveillance programmes are operated, which reinforces the need to broaden the scope of extraterritorial application of the human rights treaties. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the US and UK foreign mass surveillance se practices interferes with the right to privacy of communications and cannot be justified under Article 17 ICCPR and Article 8 ECHR. As mass surveillance seems set to continue unabated, the article supports the calls from the Council of Europe to ban cyber espionage and mass untargeted cyber surveillance. The response to the proposal of a legally binding Intelligence Codexhard law solution to mass surveillance problem from the 47 Council of Europe governments has been so far muted, however a soft law option may be a viable way forward. Key Words: privacy, cyber surveillance, non-discrimination, Intelligence Codex, soft law. Introduction Peacetime espionage is by no means a new phenomenon in international relations.1 It has always been a prevalent method of gathering intelligence from afar, including through electronic means.2 However, foreign cyber surveillance on the scale revealed by Edward Snowden performed by the United States National Security Agency (NSA), the United Kingdom Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and their Five Eyes partners3 1 Geoffrey B.
    [Show full text]
  • What Data Is Best Kept Private and Why?
    What data is best kept private and why? Hi, My name is Catherine Gicheru. I am an ICFJ Knight Fellow and the Director of the African Women Journalism Project, an initiative that works to support, train and mentor women journalists in Africa in covering underreported communities and issues. Last week Arzu Geybulla took you through what online harassment looks like, how to look after your emotional wellbeing and shared resources for psychosocial support. This week, l will be telling you about online privacy...what is it and why it's important. You will learn what information you should or shouldn't share online and how the information you share online can make you vulnerable to online attacks and targeted by bad actors. We shall also share some practical tips on what you can do to protect your privacy online. This week in addition to the videos there will be additional reading materials. I encourage you all to participate in the discussions that we shall be having throughout the week. Thank you for joining me and I look forward to working with you to better understand Online Privacy. I would like to start this second module by quickly talking about how the internet works so that you can better understand what data you share knowingly or unknowingly, and why some information should be kept private. There’s a lot of technical explanations of how the internet works, but the simplest explanation is this, the Internet is a vast, sprawling collection of networks that connect to each other. In fact, the word “Internet” comes from this concept: interconnected networks.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Before the U.S. COPYRIGHT OFFICE, LIBRARY of CONGRESS
    Before the U.S. COPYRIGHT OFFICE, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS In the Matter of Section 512 Study Docket No. 2015-7 Additional Comments of Electronic Frontier Foundation February 21, 2017 Submitted by: Corynne McSherry Mitch Stoltz Kerry Maeve Sheehan1 Electronic Frontier Foundation 815 Eddy Street San Francisco, CA 94109 Telephone: (415) 436-9333 [email protected] The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) appreciates the Copyright Office’s efforts to consider the impact of section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. EFF is a member-supported, nonprofit, public interest organization dedicated to ensuring that copyright law advances the progress of science and the arts and enhances freedom of expression. Founded in 1990, EFF represents tens of thousands of dues-paying members, including consumers, hobbyists, computer programmers, entrepreneurs, students, teachers, and researchers, who are united in their desire for a balanced copyright system that provides adequate incentives for creators, facilitates innovation, and ensures broad access to information in the digital age. EFF has been involved, as amicus or party counsel, in numerous court cases interpreting section 512, including Lenz v Universal, Lessig v. Liberation Music, MoveOn v. Viacom, Tuteur v. Wesley Corcoran, Sapient v. Geller, SHARK v. PRCA, Viacom v. YouTube, UMG Recordings v. Veoh, and Columbia Pictures v. Fung. We regularly counsel 1 Kerry Maeve Sheehan is not admitted to practice law. 1 individuals who have been targeted by takedown notices pursuant to the DMCA regarding their rights and options. We have also represented the interests of users and innovators on multiple formal and informal public processes assessing the notice and takedown system, in the United States and abroad.
    [Show full text]
  • A Call from the Panopticon to the Judicial Chamber “Expect Privacy!”
    Journal of International Commercial Law and Technology Vol.1, Issue 2 (2006) A Call From the Panopticon to the Judicial Chamber “Expect Privacy!” Julia Alpert Gladstone Bryant University Smithfield, RI,USA Abstract Privacy is necessary in order for one to develop physically, mentally and affectively. Autonomy and self definition have been recognized by the United States Supreme Court as being values of privacy. In our technologically advanced, and fear driven society, however, our right to privacy has been severely eroded. Due to encroachment by government and business we have a diminished expectation of privacy. This article examines the detriments to self and society which result from a reduced sphere of privacy, as well as offering a modest suggestion for a method to reintroduce an improved conception of privacy into citizens’ lives. Keywords: Privacy, Technology, Judiciary, Autonomy, Statute INTRODUCTION Citizens often pay scant attention to their privacy rights until a consciousness raising event, such as the late 2005 exposure of the unauthorized wiretapping performed by the United States Executive Branch, heightens their interest and concern to protect previously dormant privacy rights. The scholarly literature on privacy is plentiful which broadly explains privacy as a liberty or property right, or a condition of inner awareness, and explanations of invasions of privacy are also relevant. This article seeks to explain why privacy remains under prioritized in most people’s lives, and yet, privacy is held as a critical, if not, fundamental right. Privacy is defined according to social constructs that evolve with time, but it is valued, differently. It is valued as a means to control one’s life.
    [Show full text]
  • Is the Market for Digital Privacy a Failure?1
    Is the Market for Digital Privacy a Failure?1 Caleb S. Fuller2 Abstract Why do many digital firms rely on collecting consumer information–a practice that survey evidence shows is widely disliked? Why don’t they, instead, charge a fee that would protect privacy? This paper empirically adjudicates between two competing hypotheses. The first holds that firms pursue this strategy because consumers are ill-informed and thus susceptible to exploitation. The second holds that this strategy reasonably approximates consumer preferences. By means of survey, I test a.) the extent of information asymmetry in digital markets, b.) consumers’ valuation of privacy, and c.) whether government failure contributes to consumer mistrust of information collection. My results indicate that a.) the extent of information asymmetry is minimal, b.) there is significant divergence between “notional” and “real” demand for privacy and c.) that government contributes to consumer distrust of information collection by private firms. Significantly, almost 82% of Google users are unwilling to pay anything for increased digital privacy. JEL-Classification: D23, K29, Z18 Keywords: privacy paradox, digital privacy, survey, market failure 1 I wish to thank Alessandro Acquisti, Peter Leeson, Chris Coyne, Peter Boettke, David Lucas, Noah Gould, and Nicholas Freiling for helpful suggestions. All errors are my own. I am also indebted to the Mercatus Center for providing funding for the survey conducted by Haven Insights LLC. 2 Assistant professor of economics, Grove City College, Email: 1 INTRODUCTION Google’s motto is “Don’t Be Evil.” But the fact that the company surreptitiously collects the information of over one billion individuals annually leads some to question whether the firm’s business model runs afoul of its dictum (Hoofnagle 2009).
    [Show full text]
  • Principles of Internet Privacy
    Maurer School of Law: Indiana University Digital Repository @ Maurer Law Articles by Maurer Faculty Faculty Scholarship 2000 Principles of Internet Privacy Fred H. Cate Indiana University Maurer School of Law, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/facpub Part of the Computer Law Commons, and the Law and Society Commons Recommended Citation Cate, Fred H., "Principles of Internet Privacy" (2000). Articles by Maurer Faculty. 243. https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/facpub/243 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Scholarship at Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Articles by Maurer Faculty by an authorized administrator of Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Principles of Internet Privacy FRED H. CATE* I. INTRODUCTION Paul Schwartz's InternetPrivacy and the State makes an important and original contribution to the privacy debate that is currently raging by be- ginning the process of framing a new and more useful understanding of what "privacy" is and why and how it should be protected.' The definition developed by Brandeis, Warren,2 and Prosser,3 and effectively codified by Alan Westin in 1967---"the claim of individuals, groups, or institutions to determine for themselves when, how, and to what extent information about them is communicated to others"---worked well in a world in which most privacy concerns involved physical intrusions (usually by the government) or public disclosures (usually by the media), which, by their very nature, were comparatively rare and usually discovered.
    [Show full text]
  • The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age
    The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age April 9, 2018 Dr. Keith Goldstein, Dr. Ohad Shem Tov, and Mr. Dan Prazeres Presented on behalf of Pirate Parties International Headquarters, a UN ECOSOC Consultative Member, for the Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Our Dystopian Present Living in modern society, we are profiled. We accept the necessity to hand over intimate details about ourselves to proper authorities and presume they will keep this information secure- only to be used under the most egregious cases with legal justifications. Parents provide governments with information about their children to obtain necessary services, such as health care. We reciprocate the forfeiture of our intimate details by accepting the fine print on every form we sign- or button we press. In doing so, we enable second-hand trading of our personal information, exponentially increasing the likelihood that our data will be utilized for illegitimate purposes. Often without our awareness or consent, detection devices track our movements, our preferences, and any information they are capable of mining from our digital existence. This data is used to manipulate us, rob from us, and engage in prejudice against us- at times legally. We are stalked by algorithms that profile all of us. This is not a dystopian outlook on the future or paranoia. This is present day reality, whereby we live in a data-driven society with ubiquitous corruption that enables a small number of individuals to transgress a destitute mass of phone and internet media users. In this paper we present a few examples from around the world of both violations of privacy and accomplishments to protect privacy in online environments.
    [Show full text]
  • 13 Principles for a Human Rights Respecting State Surveillance Framework
    13 Principles for a Human Rights Respecting State Surveillance Framework Reporters Without Borders (RWB) joins the Association for Progressive Communications and more than 215 other organizations in calling for the adoption of the “International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications Surveillance,” which were developed by Access, Electronic Frontier Foundation and Privacy International in consultation with a group of international experts. Privacy is a fundamental human right, and is central to the maintenance of democratic societies. It is essential to human dignity, reinforces other rights, such as freedom of expression, information and association, and is recognised under national, regional and international human rights instruments. This Council recognized with A/HRC/RES/20/8 “the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online.” However, in recent years, many States have developed national legal frameworks and practices that exploit the capacities of new technologies to engage in mass surveillance. Those frameworks reflect a shift from surveillance of communications based on the rule of law (in particular legally authorised targeted surveillance based on clear criteria) to mass surveillance through untargeted collection of communications data of ordinary citizens where no lawful grounds for surveillance exists. These national legal frameworks often contain outmoded definitions of communications that purport to distinguish between the content of communication, versus data about the communication. Typically, the content of communications is strongly protected whereas non-content transactional data, traffic data, or “meta-data” is typically given much less protection, even though it can be just as revealing and have serious privacy implications. Activities that restrict the right to privacy, including communications surveillance, can only be justified when prescribed by law, are necessary to achieve a legitimate aim, and are proportionate to the aim pursued.
    [Show full text]
  • Internet Privacy and the State
    UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Previously Published Works Title Internet Privacy and the State Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/37x3z12g Author Schwartz, Paul M Publication Date 2021-06-27 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Berkeley Law Berkeley Law Scholarship Repository Faculty Scholarship 1-1-1999 Internet Privacy and the State Paul M. Schwartz Berkeley Law Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/facpubs Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Paul M. Schwartz, Internet Privacy and the State, 32 Conn. L. Rev. 815 (1999), Available at: http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/facpubs/766 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Berkeley Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Scholarship by an authorized administrator of Berkeley Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Interet Privacy and the State PAUL M. SCHWARTZ" INTRODUCTION "Of course you are right about Privacy and Public Opinion. All law is a dead letter without public opinion behind it. But law and public opinion in-1 teract-and they are both capable of being made." Millions of people now engage in daily activities on the Internet, and under current technical configurations, this behavior generates finely grained personal data. In the absence of effective limits, legal or other- wise, on the collection and use of personal information on the Internet, a new structure of power over individuals is emerging. This state of affairs has significant implications for democracy in the United States, and, not surprisingly, has stimulated renewed interest in information privacy? Yet, the ensuing debate about Internet privacy has employed a deeply flawed rhetoric.
    [Show full text]
  • Privacy-Enhancing Technologies for the Internet
    Privacy-enhancing technologies for the Internet Ian Goldberg David Wagner Eric Brewer University of California, Berkeley iang,daw,brewer ¡ @cs.berkeley.edu Abstract ing privacy issues on the Internet, and Section 3 provides some relevant background. We then discuss Internet pri- The increased use of the Internet for everyday activi- vacy technology chronologically, in three parts: Section 4 ties is bringing new threats to personal privacy. This pa- describes the technology of yesterday, Section 5 explains per gives an overview of existing and potential privacy- today’s technology, and Section 6 explores the technology enhancing technologies for the Internet, as well as moti- of tomorrow. Finally, we conclude in Section 7. vation and challenges for future work in this field. 2. Motivation 1. Introduction The threats to one’s privacy on the Internet are two-fold: your online actions could be (1) monitored by unauthorized Recently the Internet has seen tremendous growth, with parties and (2) logged and preserved for future access many the ranks of new users swelling at ever-increasing rates. years later. You might not realize that your personal infor- This expansion has catapulted it from the realm of academic mation has been monitored, logged, and subsequently dis- research towards new-found mainstream acceptance and in- closed; those who would compromise your privacy have no creased social relevance for the everyday individual. Yet incentive to warn you. this suddenly increased reliance on the Internet has the po- The threat of long-term storage and eventual disclosure tential to erode personal privacies we once took for granted. of personal information is especially acute on the Internet.
    [Show full text]