On Thursday, February 20, 2003, at 11:17 AM, Eric Cordian wrote:
There's an interesting story on the home page of
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/ disclosing eBay's policy of giving all
information they have on a user to any guvment-appearing person who asks
for it.
It's well known that eBay ruminates over what fraud could do to its
reputation, and employs a slew of former prosecutors and ex-LEA types to
be on the constant lookout for it.
Nonetheless, it's somewhat stunning to see eBay's policy articulated in
print, in somewhat less disingenuous terms than are articulated in the "I
Agree" link one clicks when registering with the site.
It's probably not a bright idea to login to eBay when just browsing items.
Google does much the same thing. (They have staffed-up with sheep-dipped NSA types.)
No need for a Library Awareness Program with out-of-date, printed-in-1967 chemistry and electronics textbooks when the Web is such a cornucopia of current information and when Google, E-Bay, and the credit reporting companies are so eager and willing to assist the Thought Police.
"Secure Web proxies and digital currency now more than ever!"
Meanwhile, assume a "profile" of your surfing, purchasing, and reading habits is being compiled with or without official Congressional support for Total Information Awareness.
--Tim May
