Chapter 9

I was very interested in the fact that in this chapter the author makes it very clear that terrorism is a major threat, and we are currently unprepared. However, the point was made that congress does not act until there is a body count. Keep in mind that this book was written pre-9/11, now there is a body count, and now congress has acted, the author was spot on in his prediction… I agree that we need to become proactive not reactive with terrorist threats and I believe our country has moved in that direction in recent years. Except many prevention techniques require the invasion of our privacy. The patriot act is a good example of this. The Act increased the ability of law enforcement agencies to search telephone and e-mail communications, medical, financial and other records. I said that we need to be proactive; unfortunately these are the costs unless we want to simply react to a body count again. However, it will be impossible to prevent all terrorist acts from ever happening, so we also need to be prepared for when they do happen. This can be done by increased training and equipment for emergency personnel, and by conducting further research on cures for possible biological weapons that could be used against us. I hate to say it but surveillance could be a good way to go back in time and catch the terrorists after the event has taken place, just like in the Oklahoma City bombing. Overall this chapter was ahead of its time and it sickens me to know that this kind of information and warning signs were present prior to 9/11, lets not make the same mistake twice even if it does cost a little privacy, it may save your life.

Chapter 8

This chapter touches on an interesting issue that involves the privacy and ownership of tissues and cells that are used in scientific research. Should companies be forced to pay their research subjects royalties if their cells and tests lead to the development of a profitable new product? I don't think so. The research subjects helped, but the bulk of the development expenses, risks, and research is conducted by the company, and they should then reap the rewards. However, I do not believe that doctors should be allowed to test you or use your tissue without your consent.

This chapter also asks whether or not we should own our personal names and addresses, and I think to an extent we should. If I give my information to a company I am giving them access to my information, but I should not have to accept the fact that they may sell my information to any number of other companies. If I choose to give those companies my information that is my choice, not theirs.

Finally, technology has made it increasingly easy to obtain pirated materials, there is a constant battle between companies and pirate's. I think that pirated material is great, now we're seeing the other side of the coin. The consumers are taking companies private information without their consent, and companies don't like it. They want our information for free to generate profit, but they won't give up their information for free... I find it pretty hypocritical.

Chapter 7

I really enjoyed this chapter because I found it very useful. It explains how marketers get and use your personal information, and even explains a number of steps that can be taken to reduce the amount of junk mail and telemarketing phone calls that one receives. The author stresses the importance of tighter legislation against marketing firms, and protecting individuals on do not call or do not mail lists. I am not 100% on this but I think that some laws may have changed since this book was written. I know that I have registered my phone number on the national do not call list (www.donotcall.gov if you’re interested) but I am unsure as to what penalties exist if a marketer still calls me, I’ll bet it isn’t much and it would probably end up being more work for me than it is worth. There should be a law that before any marketing firm mails or calls an individual they must check the phone number or address against the do not call/mail lists and face strict penalties for noncompliance. I’ll admit that every now and then I will receive a good coupon in the mail and I’ll use it, but the amount of junk mail far outweighs the wanted mail. What about the effects that mailing out millions of letters of which 99% are thrown out has on the environment? What about the millions of dollars that companies spend to mail out their ads, costs that are undoubtedly passed on to the consumer? Do you want to pay for this mail? Most forms of marketing are inefficient by nature and bad for society, a little bit of marketing to keep consumers informed is ok but I have to admit things are getting out of control.

Chapter 6

I found parts of this chapter very similar to the earlier chapter that dealt with credit reporting businesses. The reporting of medical records to insurance companies is very similar to the reporting of credit information to banks. One mistake can be difficult for an individual to be aware of, and be difficult to fix. One mistake can be the difference between being approved for medical/life insurance and being denied coverage. Should information as private as your medical history be provided to private insurance companies enabling them to increase premiums or deny coverage? How safe are these records kept? Do you know what your records are or if they’re accurate? This current system encourages insurance companies to only insure the healthy, the ones who don’t need medical care… What’s the point of that? Perhaps if the costs of medical care were less then insurance companies wouldn’t be forced to make these decisions in order to stay in business. I think that computers and technology can create a more efficient system of medical records enabling doctors to collaborate and eliminate the duplication of tests. This way doctors can view a centralized list of procedures, x-rays, blood work, etc. for a patient and use this information to determine when check-ups and other tests are needed. Often when you go to a new doctor it’s like starting from scratch and a whole new set of costly tests are needed, this shouldn’t be. Some are worried about the privacy implications of such a system, but what about the insurance companies, they already have more access to your medical information than most doctors do, and this needs to be reversed. There will be no more of a privacy risk with this system than we are currently taking with our insurance companies. I don’t know about everyone else, but I would be less concerned about my privacy if my records were in the hands of doctors than in the hands of insurance company clerks.

Chapter 5

This chapter touches on the privacy issues related to surveillance. It talks about satellite, video cameras, and microphone capabilities. As I read this book I am always taking into account that it was written in the late nineties, and I wonder how these issues have changed. I know that we now have even more accurate satellite imagery, and it is readily available to the public for free through websites such as Google Earth. The government has had satellite image capabilities since the 50’s which was classified information until 1996. It makes me wonder what’s classified now that we won’t know about for another 50 years. One main point that the author makes is how we have become numb to video surveillance, we don’t even notice the cameras anymore. There used to be a time when the public felt very uncomfortable around cameras and fought to keep them out of public areas as much as possible, MIT actually had a campus rule about public cameras. However, today cameras are commonplace and we have given up the fight and accepted them as part of our public life. It is true that when you’re in public anyone can see you and take note of what you’re doing, but technology has made it increasingly easy to observe the public often in unnecessary ways. It’s funny how many places will videotape you without your permission, but they won’t allow you to photograph or videotape them or their place of business. However, surveillance equipment is now readily available to consumers allowing them to watch over their home and anyone that is in or around it. Be careful what you do when you think you’re alone, because these days you’re never really alone.