From: "William H. Geiger III" <whgiii@amaranth.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 21:37:01 -0800 (PST)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: The Utility of Privacy
In-Reply-To: <199611171612.IAA01572@mailmasher.com>
Message-ID: <199611190651.AAA00275@mailhub.amaranth.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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In <199611171612.IAA01572@mailmasher.com>, on 11/17/96 at 12:12 PM,
   nobody@huge.cajones.com (Huge Cajones Remailer) said:

>I know many people who were happy they had insurance due to car
>accidents, health problems, or whatever.  What is more, the odds of
>these events are carefully calculated and available.  Call an actuary.

>Are there similar sources of information calculating privacy risk?  I
>don't think so.

>Informally, I don't know anybody who has suffered due to a loss of
>privacy.

>It may be the case that it is politically beneficial to have a society
>of privacy fanatics.  But, this is different from the direct benefit
>to each participant.

>My question remains unanswered, probably because privacy isn't worth
>the effort.

Well I can give you a couple of examples from personel "suffering" from loss of privacy:

#1. While living in KC I had a co-worker obtain my SS# which he then used to have all his
utilities put in my name. (Utility companies only asked for SS#, Name & Place of
employment). I did not find this out until 9mo. later when I went to have utilities turned
on in my new house. (I was previously living in an apartment which utilities were included
in the rent). It took several months, an attorny & many calls to the utility board to get
the mess straightend out.

#2. The Ill. State Police got my name cross-referenced with a convicted fellon in thier
computer system. Didn't find this one out until I needed to get my security clearance
renewed for a contract. Needless to say the client was not pleased. This took over a year
to get straightend out and god only knows how many other computer systems still has me
listed as a convicted car theif. Funniest part is that while this guy was rotting in jail
I was living overseas.

It is all too easy today with the current state of computer & information technology to
get f***ed. Needless to say I take my privacy much more seriously than I did before.

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