by Annalee Newitz

AlterNet

02/23/05

You've been told a zillion times by now that it's a bad idea to give out your personal data online. But hell, we all do it. Those of us who are particularly wary tell ourselves we're engaging in good data hygiene by checking the privacy policies of the companies that hold our e-mail and financial records. Of course, we all know in the backs of our minds -- don't we? -- that privacy policies are just guidelines and not legally binding. And yet we put our faith in them. It's the same process that keeps us paying Social Security even though the government might spend all our hard-earned retirement money by the time we need it...

http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/21331/


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp