Some Perspective on Privacy - New York Times

Some Perspective on Privacy - New York Times:

Pogue displays some realism about privacy and anonimity. Common sense prevails. There is no absolute privacy in electronic communications. 'Use it and lose it.'

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"So what's my point?

I'm alarmed at our loss of privacy. I wish we had more. I wish we left fewer tracks.

But please--have some perspective. Before you worry that Futurephone is collecting phone numbers in Venezuela, shouldn't you first cut up your credit cards, get an unlisted number and pay for your hotel rooms in cash? Before you conjure up visions of some bored employee at Cingular tuning in to your chats with your mom, shouldn't you cancel your home phone and make all your calls from a pay phone in Grand Central?

All of the much smaller potential abuses make a whopping assumption: that somebody actually *cares a whit* about you and your mundane daily communications. Yes, of course someone at the phone company could look over your phone records and figure out whom you call. But who would ever be so bored, and--forgive me--what could ever be so boring?

You're already in a thousand databases. Your tracks are everywhere. MasterCard knows where you go and what you buy. Your grocery store knows what you eat and how often. You gave up your theoretical online privacy the day you signed up for an Internet account, let alone this newsletter.

The bottom line: Worrying that Futurephone might have secret plans to invade your privacy is like repairing the screen door when all your windows are wide open. If you're going to be paranoid, at least focus on the real threats; there are plenty of those to go around."