Date: Wed, 22 Jun 94 15:31:27 EST
Errors-To: Comp-privacy Error Handler <owner-comp-privacy@uwm.edu>
From: Computer Privacy Digest Moderator <comp-privacy@uwm.edu>
To: Comp-privacy@uwm.edu
Subject: Computer Privacy Digest V4#080
Computer Privacy Digest Wed, 22 Jun 94 Volume 4 : Issue: 080
Today's Topics: Moderator: Leonard P. Levine
Physical Location via Cell Phone
Re: Credit Reports Now Sold Over the Net
Re: Information Required by Employer
Watch your subscriptions...
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Prof. L. P. Levine" <levine@blatz.cs.uwm.edu>
Date: 21 Jun 1994 13:01:00 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Physical Location via Cell Phone
Organization: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
from Risks-Forum Digest Tuesday 21 June 1994 (16:17) Forum on Risks
to the Public in Computers and Related Systems, ACM Committee on
Computers and Public Policy, Peter G. Neumann, moderator
from: Derek Atkins <warlord@MIT.EDU>
date: Sun, 19 Jun 94 01:32:47 EDT
subject: Physical Location via Cell Phone
I'm sure many people have heard this already, even though it only
happened yesterday (Friday, 17 June). I'm sure most people have heard
about O.J. Simpson [he was charged with a double murder], and Friday
evening he took a long drive around the LA Highway system. Police said
that they discovered his location (and even his very car) through the
use of the Cellular Phone system.
The RISKS are obvious: Being able to locate someone just by their cell
phone, and by extension, just keeping a cell-phone turned on transmits
enough information to be located. For example, if anyone carries a
Digital Personal Communicator (DPC), or other such flip-top cell
phones, or any cell phone, for that matter, they can be physically
tracked, basically, anywhere in the country through the cellular phone
system.
And as the cells get smaller, the location detail gets better. What
will happen when we have micro-cellular phones, a cell for every
building, or even a cell for every office! Think about the level of
personal tracking that can be done with this level of detail!
------------------------------
From: glr@ripco.com (Glen Roberts)
Date: 18 Jun 1994 16:41:49 GMT
Subject: Re: Credit Reports Now Sold Over the Net
Organization: RCI, Chicago, IL
Bruce Hahne (bruce@jise.isl.melco.co.jp) wrote: Below is an ad
which was forwarded over eff-activists. Is this the way the system
works; everybody EXCEPT me is allowed to look at my credit
history?? Doesn't some provision of the Fair Credit Reporting Act
require Creditel to make this information available to me?
I wrote to Creditel asking for information, mostly to see if they
were planning to transmit credit reports over the net unencrypted.
They aren't; right now they're only accepting ORDERS via the
Internet.
Remember, that most of the times credit bureaus (whether direct or
through a broker), ask for: NAME, ADDRESS, and SSN from those ordering
a credit report. So, the report might not be going over the net, but
some other, very important information is.
--
--------------------------------------
Glen L. Roberts, Publisher, Directory of Elect Surv Equip Suppliers
Host Full Disclosure Live (WWCR 5,810 khz - Sundays 7pm central)
Box 734, Antioch, Illinois 60002 Fax: (708) 838-0316
Surveillance Hotline: (708) 356-9646 Bust the Bureaucrats: (708) 356-6726
--------------------------------------
------------------------------
From: jdunn@hnssys1.hns.com (Joe Dunn)
Date: 20 Jun 1994 16:14:58 GMT
Subject: Re: Information Required by Employer
Organization: Hughes Network Systems, Inc.
tnyurkiw@lagrange.uwaterloo.ca (Tom Yurkiw) writes: What is the
purpose of the American SSN? In Canada, we have a SIN (Social
Insurance Number) which is used to keep track of a person's income,
as well as employment benefits (Unemployment Insurance, Canada
Pension Plan) which employers are required to contribute to. So,
the case you raised, would be impossible -- employers must receive
the SIN's of their employees :), and send them to the government.
:)
I must say: Canada had the decency to name their program accuratly,
SIN!!!
Does someone in Canada have the option of not receiving their great
benefits?? Does one have to pay into the Canada Pension Plan???
In the U.S. the SSN is to apply credits to your SS account so that you
can receive payments when you retire. If you don't want to collect
their used to be provisions that you didn't have to pay. The thing I
want to know is, when did those provisions go away?? When did this
lousy system become mandatory... probably when too many people started
opting out...
we also have alternate form of tracking income. an individual can apply
for a tax ID number (TIN) to use instead of a SSN. There is no
requirment to have a SSN to track income.
--
Joe Dunn Hughes Network Systems jdunn@hns.com
------------------------------
From: OHS@neu.edu
Date: 21 Jun 1994 16:11:34 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Watch your subscriptions...
My boss gets his copy of PC WEEK using a complimentary subscription
form. This week I note on a duplicate form they are now requiring your
SSN in order to keep a subscription going. Interesting; what on earth
do they need THAT for? The old saw of "to eliminate duplicates" will
hardly work; my boss's name, title AND his address are incorrect, a
result of way to many passings of his name onto some other list
somewhere else. If they can botch up a name in English, imagine what
they can do to a SSN. (Or are they checking it elsewhere?)
Are we looking at yet another set of data for some new database cross-
matching?
------------------------------
End of Computer Privacy Digest V4 #080
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