1993-01-21 - privacy vs. public servants

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From: deboni@diego.llnl.gov (Tom DeBoni)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Message Hash: d972efe60cecd9d86036616c36f8b21b025fb87e37d4019f6e550096dc103840
Message ID: <9301212254.AA01411@diego.llnl.gov>
Reply To: N/A
UTC Datetime: 1993-01-21 22:59:21 UTC
Raw Date: Thu, 21 Jan 93 14:59:21 PST

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From: deboni@diego.llnl.gov (Tom DeBoni)
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 93 14:59:21 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: privacy vs. public servants
Message-ID: <9301212254.AA01411@diego.llnl.gov>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


This is a very interesting thread. But should university academicians working
for state-supported institutions be subject to the same constraints on privacy
and freedom from arbitrary search and seizure in their email and computer files
as high federal governmental officials? I submit that the amount of (real or
potential) oversight should be somehow proportional to the potential for harm
or abuse of power available to the individual involved. Surely Ollie North
or Richard Nixon had much greater abilities to subvert the democratic process
or otherwise break the law than Professor Smith of the Chemistry Dept. of 
State U.

Tom DeBoni
(a state and federal employee with no power whatsoever)





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