[privacy] U.S. Congressional Confusion on Internet Privacy

["Fergie" <fergdawg () netzero net>]

Via C|Net News.

[snip]

When it comes to Internet privacy, Rep. Joe Barton embodies contradictions.

The Texas Republican, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee, claims to be a steadfast supporter of online privacy. He's
piped up at innumerable hearings about Social Security number misuse
and data breaches and has pledged, as recently as May, to enact a
sweeping law protecting Americans' privacy rights.

He seems serious enough. "Whether Social Security numbers should be
sold by Internet data brokers to anyone willing to pay,
indistinguishable from sports scores or stock quotes...to me, that's a
no-brainer," Barton said. Such a practice should not be allowed, he
said. "Period. End of debate."

Which is why it's so odd that Barton is just as serious about forcing
Internet providers to snoop on what Americans are doing online--which
would create a much bigger privacy threat, after all, than a few
bottom-feeding information brokers.

[snip]

More here:
http://news.com.com/2010-1028_3-6090314.html

- ferg


--
"Fergie", a.k.a. Paul Ferguson
 Engineering Architecture for the Internet
 fergdawg(at)netzero.net
 ferg's tech blog: http://fergdawg.blogspot.com/

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