Privacy Heat Generates Little Light

Privacy and security are topics I've been following closely for over
two years online and off. I know I've seen some rather vehement and
heated opinions voiced on Privacy and I've watched otherwise very
level-headed discussions turn rather boistrous when privacy issues
come up in conversations of internet industry marketing or security
veterans.

An innocent comment on spam can cause unimaginable eruptions of
heated emotions at a internet professional gathering. Vast hotel
ballrooms overflow at web conferences to hear panel discussions
on IT infrastructure security issues since September 11, 2001.
Databases of customer information have been fought over in dot com
bankruptcies while accidental exposures of private information is
unwittingly made public by simple human error handling email soft-
ware. Privacy issues made DoubleClick famous overnight.

I watched two episodes of the popular network television show
"Law and Order" just this month that dealt with innocent death due
to a hacker killing diabetics in one show and a stalker accessing
private information purchased from datamining profiteers to kill
an innocent in another show. These programs are supposedly based
on real-life cases. Privacy issues have made it to Prime-Time on
60 Minutes repeatedly, from identity theft to facial recognition
software to airport security matters.

What permission is presumed given by subscribers when they join a
discussion list as to Privacy concerns? Do you include their email
address on subscriber posts? Do you have permission to contact them
for stand-alone ads from list advertisers? Does your web site privacy
policy apply to your list subscribers and if not, can you then archive
the list online? What if you remove those email addresses before
archiving?

Privacy has been a growing topic of concern among the US public
since 11 September. Harris found that 91% of US consumers say
they would be more likely to do business with a company that
verified its privacy practices with a third party.

20020222_harris.html>

About the Author

Mike Banks Valentine is the Moderator of the newly launched
Discussion list from Adventive.com called I-Privacy
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