My everchanging privacy

[riff]

I recently tested out the newest version of Morpheus and BuyersPort, its companion shopping component. Registering with BuyersPort gets you cash rewards for shopping with its associated merchants, but you have to submit your name, address, and other personal information. According to its privacy policy, BuyersPort won't share your information except, among other reasons, if there is a business transfer. In other words, if another company buys BuyersPort, your personal information is considered an asset and is owned by the new company.

I found that a little bit troublesome, but at least BuyersPort admits it. Any company that holds your personal information will count that as an asset if the company is about to be bought. Furthermore, any company with a privacy policy can unilaterally change it, as Best Buy recently did. It seems to me that your information should be held to the privacy terms under which it was submitted.

What do you think? Do privacy policies have any meaning if they can be changed at will? Or, since information such as addresses and phone numbers are readily available from phone books, is privacy concerning this so-called personal information overrated? Let me know at edit@download.com.

Wayne Cunningham
Features Editor, CNET Download.com

I get their newsletter once a week via e-mail. I recommend it. Thought I would pass it along.

 

[Gord]

Give them a false address - that will fool them

 

[riff]

Sometimes you don't want to give them a fake address.

 

[cybergirly]

I get so annoyed with the concept of we wont share your information with anyone. (except our affiliates, friends, anyone willing to pay us for said information, relatives, relatives friends, and so on and so on) I to give most websites that require an email address a fake hotmail address.

Other sites that I want to get newsletters from or that have more of my info, I just take my chances on.

edited cause I can't spell

 

[ksmybuttons]

The client/member list is always one the biggest assets of any business, political group or organization.

If your therapist sells the practice, as a patient, you are sold. They have your information. You can choose to not go with them, but they still have your information...

 

[Gord]

start tracking where your junk mail is getting sourced - by making minute diferent spelling mistakes each time you give out your details - keep a record and then every time you get a piece of junk mail - you can then find out who sold it .

Alternatively you can just bin all junk mail - dont worry too much about it - if they want to waste bucks sending crap then let them - and use the time to do something more interesting

 

[riff]

Privacy is a major issue of the century.

Like, when I took my cam into the grocery store to film myself shopping. The manager comes to me as I grab a loaf of bread and says "May I help you?"

I said, "No, I am shopping."

"Well," he rudely replied, "We don't allow people to film our stuff."

I politely turned off the camera, but what the fuck- they got camera pointing at me everywhere. Everything I do.

Why can't I film back?

It's an undeclared war on the individual by the collective.

 

[Gord]

Privacy is a major issue of the century.

Like, when I took my cam into the grocery store to film myself shopping. The manager comes to me as I grab a loaf of bread and says "May I help you?"

I said, "No, I am shopping."

"Well," he rudely replied, "We don't allow people to film our stuff."

I politely turned off the camera, but what the fuck- they got camera pointing at me everywhere. Everything I do.

Why can't I film back?

It's an undeclared war on the individual by the collective.

I must do that the next time I go shopping - it is ironic that they can film your every move and get the hump over your camera - I am sure there is a human rights isue there somewhere -

 

[riff]

I must do that the next time I go shopping - it is ironic that they can film your every move and get the hump over your camera - I am sure there is a human rights isue there somewhere -

That's one of the reasons I take my camera with me EVERYWHERE (except in my own home).

Milan Kundera certainly would have something to say about this. I'll find an exerpt soon and post it.