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ACTION ALERT: Stop the spread of personal information on the net.
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Date: Fri, 20 Dec 96 14:48:24 CST
From: Jon Handler
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ACTION ALERT: Stop the spread of personal information on the net.
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December 16, 1996 Post where appropriate
By permitting individuals to publish information about themselves and their activities, the Internet has become a powerful tool for creating new social connections across the barriers of geography and background. Recently, though, several firms have started abusing the power of the Internet to publish large databases of personal information without permission. This is impolite, and in many cases it can even be dangerous.
True story: recently, I followed a lead from MacUser magazine to a web page for dealing with spam emailers. That page suggested that one of the first steps to take was to contact services that track people's email addresses. With growing horror, I connected to page after page on the list and located myself in their databases. Some services listed far more than just name and e-mail address. My home address and phone number were accessible from the same record. Two services even had facilities to show a map of my neighborhood and the location of my house in it.
The widespread dispersal of information of this sort, without prior consent, is a serious invasion of privacy. In some cases, publishing personal information can be harmful to the individual. For example, battered women have very good reasons to keep present addresses confidential. Because these services gather their data silently, from many sources, they present a real threat to those who require anonymity. In addition, public databases serve as a source for stalkers, scam artists, and junk mailers. Because they potentially support these activities, databases of personal information weaken the social environment that all people on the net inhabit.
Below I have listed the URL's for the pages, along with the information that they contain and the contact address for that site. Send mail to the contact address, requesting that they 1) remove you from their database and 2) refrain from including you in the future. Note, the mail you send must contain enough information for the services to know which record to delete. It's best to send the information that the service tracks. Also, be aware that, unfortunately, there is no legal obligation for the companies to remove your name.
http://www.four11.com email/phone support@four11.com http://www.whowhere.com email/phone/address delete-entry@whowhere.com http://www.switchboard.com email/phone/address webmaster@switchboard.com (DELETE in the subject line) http://bigfoot.com email/phone/address/map overexposure@bigfoot.com http://www.searchamerica.com This service requires a subscription to view information. Their information page claims that they track names, addresses, and telephone numbers. webmaster@searchamerica.com http://www.abii.com/lookupusa/adp/peopsrch.htm phone/address/map consumerupdate@abii.com
Jon Handler
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jhandler@ils.nwu.edu It was the best of times :-) It was the worst of times :-( - Dave Barry
The opinions expressed in this document are mine alone and do not necessarily represent those of Northwestern University nor The Institute for the Learning Sciences.
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