ETHICS-IN-GENEALOGY-L Archives
Archiver > ETHICS-IN-GENEALOGY > 2002-04 > 1018302272
From:
Subject: Re: [Ethics] Posting
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 17:44:32 EDT
In a message dated 4/8/02 4:51:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:
> I love this type of statement. It automatically assumes that public
> access should be open and free and that privacy rights (notice the
> quotes) are, using your words, eroding that access. Let's turn it
> around: I hope that 'public access' doesn't erode my right to privacy.
Lou-
Your "right to privacy" isn't really the concern. What you really are
concerned about (or should be) is to ensure that your private account
information and other private records aren't accessible or subject to theft
because of public information that is widely available on the Internet and
elsewhere.
The problem is that banks and other institutions are often using widely
available *public* information for the purposes of identifying you to permit
access to *private* account information. It is up to YOU to see that they
don't do this. When they ask you for your mother's maiden name to verify
your account--give them another word or password that only you will know you
have used.
Whether you like it or not--it is too late to shut the barn door (or
courthouse door as the case might be) where public records are
concerned--they are exactly what they say they are--PUBLIC information.
Joan
This thread: