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Privacy - what happened to it?

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

ID checks to teach compliance with bizarre procedures

Refusal to present ID sparks test of rights

... Davis said she showed her ID when a Federal Center guard asked to see it for the first couple of days she rode the RTD bus through the center. But it bothered her.

“It’s wrong,” she said Monday. “It’s not even security. It’s just a lesson in compliance - the big guys pushing the little guys around.”

For a few subsequent days, she told the guards she wasn’t getting off in the Federal Center and didn’t have an ID. They let her stay on the bus.

Finally, on a Friday, a guard told Davis she had to have an ID the next time. Davis said she spent part of the weekend studying her rights and e-mailing Scannell.

That Monday, when a guard asked if she had her ID with her, Davis just said, “Yes.”

“And he said, ‘May I see it?’ “ she recalled, “and I said no.”

The guard told her she had to leave the bus, but she refused. Two officers with the Federal Protective Service were called. ...

Just like the CRAs, they ask for ID.  And if you don’t comply, you’ll pay the price - whether it’s no credit dispute investigations or no job.

It’s so frustrating to see people jump through hoops no matter how absurd the demands.  People are used to following orders.  Few people THINK anymore.

If there’s a law that you can’t leave the house without ID or you can’t get on a bus w/o ID, I guess that’s just how it is.  I didn’t know that’s so.  I thought you only need a driver license/ID when you drive.  This somehow went right by me.

You need ID to get in the Phoenix federal court, but they make that clear on their web site and before you enter.  And I don’t think they arrest you when you don’t show your ID at the entrance, I think they just won’t let you in.

I can’t image just arresting everybody who happens to be in the building because they don’t have ID.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Buy Katherine Albrecht’s Spychips to delay RFID chips in stores, people and drivers licenses

Last night I ordered two books

Spychips -- The authors Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre were on Coast last week and she’s right, the best way to prevent this atrocious invasion of privacy is to get this book on the bestseller lists, create awareness and hopefully some legislation prohibiting many abuses. 

I may not have time to read it right away, but the word needs to get out.

My old passports have the visa stamps, you can see when I entered and left various countries.  That’s “normal”—I never gave it a thought, other than how cool it is see where I’ve been.

Today’s kids consider it “normal” that they go through metal detectors when they go into their schools, everybody knows that our phone calls and e-mails are monitored and our credit card and bank statements provide a detailed purchase history. 

Cell phones can be located by law enforcement even when turned off.  OnStar gets you some extra security and the FBI a way to listen in on your conversations in your car.  The court ruled they can’t do it ONLY because it made the system not function for the user while the FBI listened.  If the FBI got over that technical problem, they can listen to anyone in any OnStar car.

Every city has THOUSANDS of cameras monitoring the population.

Already our pets are chipped (so is my dog), but more and more PEOPLE get the tracking chips.

From Mexico law enforcement to concerned American parents who have their kids chipped to American governments requiring that certain people be chipped.

You’ve probably read about Wal-Mart and many other retailers utilizing the RFID chips to track merchandise.

*Supposedly* they are deactivated when you leave the store, but how would you know?

It’s the retailers’ dream to know your buying habits the moment you walk into the store.  RFID readers at the door will tell them what kind of clothes you are wearing, which credit cards you carry and how much credit you have available. 

If you think that’s illegal, think again.  A few years ago we discussed at CreditForum.org how doctors make sure that you can pay for treatment by running your credit card for a certain amount (not charging, but authorizing a deposit, similar to rental car deposits) BEFORE providing services.  There is NOTHING you can do to prevent a store from requiring a minimum available credit BEFORE you enter. 

The merchants will argue that this is how they’ll keep out shoplifters.  When you enter the store, it’ll beep when you’re not qualified just like it does now when someone leaves the store without paying.  You may then pull out your wallet and flash some cash and you’re asked to leave if you you’re not deemed a potentially profitable shopper.

“We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason.”

And then of course there’s national security. Apparently some government people are getting chipped passports and it won’t be too long until every drivers license has a chip.  Just about every bank and store and of course government buildings will have the readers and with a few keystrokes a detailed history of your whereabouts will be produced.

Tomorrow’s kids will accept the tracking just like I accepted the passport stamps without question.

The criminals will tremendously appreciate the chips - they’ll know which house to rob and which wallet is worth stealing.

They’ll be the first to have RFID readers.  They’ll cut the chips out of the kidnapped victims.  I’d rather not have a chip in the first place.

You probably read about the FAKE ATMs put up by creative crooks—the RFID readers owned by criminals will be everywhere.  Just like guns.

At this time we’re mostly talking about passive chips with a very short range, just a few feet.  However, it’s not a big step to the transmitting chips.

I heard Katherine talk about chips that can actually transmit all your conversations.

How would you like that?  Especially, since you might think you got a flu shot and not even know that you have been chipped because you happened to end up on some list by mistake.  A criminal or an agent for a competing corporation might drug you and inject the chip.

Already corporate bug sweeps and detection of spyware is a huge business.  However, just like your spouse might install a keystroke logger on your computer, your spouse might inject you with a spychip to make sure you’re not cheating or to find out who you’re cheating with.  Parents can make sure their kids don’t smoke a little weed with 24/7/365 monitoring.

Trust means nothing—control is everything.

Nicaragua Footprint -- For me it’s time to get out while I can and I’ve been impatiently waiting for the new release. I really enjoyed reading the previous edition, also by Richard Leonardi.

Of course I’m aware that Wal-Mart has been invading Mexico and Central America and you really can’t get “away” anymore, especially with so many investor expats exporting the American consumerism, values and lifestyle. 

I’ve been an Amazon affiliate so long, my ID is “bayhouserealesta”—way back when Amazon started they just used the name of your business and apparently mine was too long.  I have yet to get a check - mostly used it for my own orders. 

Yes, I’m aware that Amazon is a huge Republican supporter, that’s in part why I never put up any links before. 

But I sure appreciate their reviews.  I look up any book I consider buying at Amazon and usually I can tell within a few minutes whether it’s what I’m looking for.  And you don’t even have to order at Amazon.  Since the nearest bookstore is over 100 miles away, Amazon works for me, especially with the free shipping and I never had a problem with my orders.

Here’s more info from CASPIAN (I subscribe to their newsletter) on Spychips, reviews, the websites, etc.

Saturday, June 18, 2005

Equifax Canada SECOND security breach - 605 credit files accessed

Criminals breach Equifax again

“The latest case came to Equifax Canada’s attention several months ago, but was made public only Thursday ...”

Interesting.  When did they send out the letters?

“… A little over a year ago, Equifax reported that criminals posing as legitimate credit grantors had accessed the credit files of roughly 1,400 consumers, primarily in B.C. and Alberta.

Mr. Popa said it’s widely assumed in the security industry that the 2004 attack occurred when criminals managed to fool Equifax’s on-line account system into granting administrator-like access — known as an elevation of privilege attack. It’s entirely possible that elements of the first crime were still present in Equifax Canada’s computer system, allowing for a second breach, or that the criminals had help from the inside, Mr. Popa said.

“For a credit reporting agency, this is a huge hit,” he said. “All the trust goes out the window.’”

Trust?  Canadians TRUST the CRAs? 

Crooks don’t have to STEAL credit data - the CRAs are happy to sell it to them.  Setting up a fake collection business is so easy and buying promo data is even easier.

If you’re one of the consumers who received the Equifax letter, please contact Sarah with CBC Radio news in Vancouver for an interview at

And I’d like to know what really happened - and I’d love to have a copy of the letter for posting without your identifying data, my fax is 571-222-1000.

Monday, June 06, 2005

American Express new RFID chip in the “blue” cards

From the AmEx press release:

“ExpressPay is a new payment feature that consists of a secure computer chip powered by radio frequency technology. Designed for purchases at locations where speed and convenience are important — such as convenience stores, quick-serve restaurants, supermarkets, drug stores and gas stations — it is an easy-to-use alternative to cash. Users simply hold Blue with ExpressPay next to a special reader at checkout to make purchases. Payment is authorized in seconds and no signature is required. The computer chip enables end-to-end transaction security. Blue from American Express also has a magnetic strip and functions as a traditional credit card. ...

... Test results showed that, on average, ExpressPay transactions are 63 percent faster than using cash.  ...”

I wonder how much faster it is than just swiping the card.  Apparently not significant faster at all! 

So, why the RFID chip?????

Personnally, I don’t feel comfortable having a credit card (or anything else) with a chip that can be used to track where I go and what I do while giving merchants the opportunity to see how much credit I have.

I don’t see any advantage to the chip as it is used by AmEx and apparently the agenda is to get people used to the chips so they won’t object (or notice) when the lucrative features are enabled:

Providing merchants and others with lots of info about us so they can target market us more efficiently and of course there’s “homeland security.”

No thanks!

Thursday, April 07, 2005

DNA tests offer predictions of future illness - are they more accurate than FICO scores?

Labs selling DNA assessments

“… Based on the findings, the company provides recommendations on diet, lifestyle changes and categories of medications that might work best for an individual. Depending on how many tests the customer has ordered, the bill—which typically isn’t covered by insurance—could be $400 or more.

• More health coverage
Companies such as Genelex are pushing medical science into territory that was once the realm of gods and horoscope writers. They are making predictions about what someone’s health might be in five, 10, 20 or more years. Other testing facilities around the country offer genetic assessments of what they claim is people’s future propensity towards diabetes, liver disease, blood clots, dementia—even alcoholism and gambling.

There are now tests for more than 1,100 ailments, double what was on the market five years ago, according to GeneTests, a public education service based at the University of Washington and funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Until recently, genetic testing was limited to pinpointing mutations associated with diseases such as Huntington’s or cystic fibrosis. Today’s analyses are more about probabilities and “what-ifs.”

...

Critics also say privacy laws related to genetics aren’t strong enough, putting those who take the tests at risk for discrimination.

...

But Columbia University medical professor Nancy Wexler, who discovered the Huntington’s disease gene, says direct-to-consumer sales are “a catastrophe.” As a result of tests that predict a negative outcome, people might “cut off their best friends, jump off the Golden Gate Bridge.” They might also decide not to have children because they are worried they will pass on similar health problems.

Wexler said the psychological impact of genetic testing can be as dramatic as the physical.

“Even if the test can save your life, it’s often not good news,” she said. “It knocks people for a loop.”

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It looks a lot like FICO scores and I often feel it would be best if people didn’t know they exist.

The trouble with these DNA tests is that they can make you uninsurable and REALLY cause you problems FOREVER.