Date: Fri, 24 Jun 94 15:44:09 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#081
Computer Privacy Digest Fri, 24 Jun 94 Volume 4 : Issue: 081
Today's Topics: Moderator: Leonard P. Levine
License Plate Numbers
Write Congress for Public Lane on Info Highway
Re: Watch your subscriptions...
Re: Watch your subscriptions...
Re: Physical Location via Cell Phone
Re: Physical Location via Cell Phone
Re: Physical Location via Cell Phone
Re: Information Required by Employer
The Computer Privacy Digest is a forum for discussion on the effect
of technology on privacy. The digest is moderated and gatewayed into
the USENET newsgroup comp.society.privacy (Moderated). Submissions
should be sent to comp-privacy@uwm.edu and administrative requests
to comp-privacy-request@uwm.edu. Back issues are available via
anonymous ftp on ftp.cs.uwm.edu [129.89.9.18]. Login as "ftp"
with password "yourid@yoursite". The archives are in the directory
"pub/comp-privacy". Archives are also held at ftp.pica.army.mil
[129.139.160.133].
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: gene@insti.physics.sunysb.edu (Eugene Tyurin)
Date: 23 Jun 1994 19:08:28 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: License Plate Numbers
Organization: Institute for Theoretical Physics, Stony Brook University
Can I find out a person's phone or address if I know his license plate #?
If that matters -- I'm in NY state. Thanks a lot!
-- MIME mail is welcome --
Active Ingredient: Eugene Tyurin <gene@insti.physics.sunysb.edu>
http://insti.physics.sunysb.edu:80/~gene/plan.html
Bio-degradable, made of 100% recycled substance.
Handle with care: fragile, toxic and flammable.
------------------------------
From: cpsr-announce@cpsr.org
Date: 24 Jun 1994 07:42:54 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Write Congress for Public Lane on Info Highway
*** ACTION ALERT! ***
*** WRITE TO YOUR SENATORS TO SUPPORT S. 2195! ***
Help create public space in cyberspace.
Prevent the NII from becoming simply an electronic shopping mall.
An unprecendented coalition of nonprofit, educational, arts, service,
labor, civil rights, consumer, public broadcasting, religious, community,
public interest, civic, and cultural organizations are working to get
Congress to designate a public lane on the information highway.
Toward this goal, an important new bill has just been released that
would open up media and communications networks to a wide range of
information and service providers. S. 2195 would ensure that television
and other media will have democratic and diverse offerings for the
public in the next decade.
But in the face of tough odds, the coalition needs _your_ help.
* Please write to your Senators ASAP in support of S. 2195:
The National Public Telecommunications Infrastructure Act of 1994.
Included in this post: * Fact Sheet on S. 2195
* Sample Letter to Your Senators
Please distribute this information widely.
--
PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY LEGISLATION (S. 2195)
Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Chairman of the Communications
Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Transportation and Science
Committee, has introduced important legislation to require the
reservation of capacity on advanced telecommunications networks
for non-commercial educational and informational services and
civic discourse.
Telecommunications infrastructure legislation is generally
believed to have the potential to transform education, self-governance,
civic discourse and artistic expression. However, this promise will
not be fulfilled unless there is a guaranteed right-of-way for the
public to share non-commercial educational, cultural, civic and
informational services. Senator Inouye's legislation seeks to address
this problem by reserving up to twenty percent of the capacity on
advanced telecommunications networks for use by state and local
governments, educational institutions, public broadcasters, libraries
and nonprofit organizations organized for the purpose of providing
public access to noncommercial, educational, informational, cultural
civic and charitable services. The legislation is not, however,
intended to cover the Internet. Nor is it intended to cover point
to point telephone communications that are not intended for the public.
While many people contemplate that at some point in the future
there will be ample capacity on these "switched" networks so that
technological and economic barriers to access would disappear, this bill
would insure such uses in the interim. If and when adequate capacity is
available, the legislative requirement to reserve space would be phased
out or terminated. The legislation also includes a funding mechanism to
give those entities for which the capacity is being reserved sufficient
economic support to use the capacity.
Absent legislation, the telecommunications industry is
unlikely to provide adequate, affordable, non-discriminatory access
to communications networks, and could potentially control the ideas
and information we all now receive and send over computer networks.
Information technologies are already having a profound impact on the
way we communicate with each other, keep abreast of and disseminate
important information, educate ourselves, receive health care, expand
our cultural horizons, and engage in political and civic discourse.
Politicians and members of the telecommunications industry have all
recognized the potential of the "information superhighway" expand the
delivery of noncommercial educational services and contribute to a
new era of democratic self-governance and to enrich the lives of
those people that have traditionally been left out. Senator
Inouye's legislation will provide the mechanism for the information
superhighway to realize these goals.
We need to support public right-of-way legislation. We encourage
you to begin lobbying efforts by writing letters to your Senators
immediately.
--
SAMPLE LETTERS IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY BILL (S. 2195)
* Please write your Senators as soon as possible on this urgent matter.
If you can, also write Senator Inouye and Senator Hollings.
The Honorable [your senator]
___ Senate ________ Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator ____________:
We are writing to encourage you to support the legislation
(S.2195) introduced by Senator Inouye to provide space for
non-commercial uses on the "information superhighway." We
hope that you will recognize the importance of this
legislation and consider becoming a co-sponsor. Congress must
ensure that as the legal landscape for the provision of
telecommunications services changes dramatically, those
organizations committed to providing informational,
educational, cultural and charitable services to the public
are not left out.
Congress has an historic opportunity to shape the nation's
communications system for the future. But the promise of
economic development, educational reform and enhanced
democracy will not happen if the new technologies are
utilized principally for home shopping and movies on demand.
It is crucial that any such legislation provides for the
reservation of capacity for open, non-discriminatory use by
state and local governments, libraries, schools,
public broadcasters, and other nonprofit entities. [If
applicable, please state potential uses for your
organization.]
Sincerely,
--
The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye
Chairman, Subcommittee on Communications,
Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation
722 Senate Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
We are writing to commend your efforts to ensure that space
is provided for non-commercial uses on the "information
superhighway." We support your proposal (S.2195) regarding
the reservation of capacity and hope that your proposal will
be considered simultaneously with the Senate's debate on the
broader telecommunications reform bill, S. 1822.
Congress has an historic opportunity to shape the nation's
communications system for the future. But the promise of
economic development, educational reform and enhanced
democracy will not happen if the new technologies are
utilized principally for home shopping and movies on demand.
It is crucial that any telecommunications reform legislation
provides for the reservation of capacity for open, non-
discriminatory use by state and local governments, libraries,
schools, public broadcasters, and other nonprofit entities.
[If applicable, please state potential uses for your
organization.]
Sincerely,
--
The Honorable Ernest F. Hollings
Chairman Committee on Commerce, Science
and Transportation
125 Senate Russell Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
We are writing in support of legislation (S.2195) introduced
by Senator Daniel Inouye to ensure that space is provided for
non-commercial uses on the "information superhighway."
You have been a leader in telecommunications reform efforts.
Senator Inouye's important legislation would advance your
objectives by insuring that the information superhighway
provides more than home shopping and movies on demand. We
hope that you will help ensure that S.2195 is included in the
current debate on telecommunications reform and considered
contemporaneously with S. 1822.
Congress has an historic opportunity to shape the nation's
communications system for the future. But the promise of
economic development, educational reform and enhanced
democracy will not happen if the new technologies are
utilized principally for home shopping and movies on demand.
It is crucial that any such legislation provides for the
reservation of capacity for open, non-discriminatory use by
state and local governments, libraries, schools,
public broadcasters, and other nonprofit entities. [If
applicable, please state potential uses for your
organization.]
Sincerely,
--
A copy of the "public space" bill (S. 2195), and other supporting
materials will be placed online shortly.
Please distribute this post widely. Thank you for your support.
--
Anthony E. Wright cme@access.digex.net
Coordinator, Future of Media Project Center for Media Education
--
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility is a national membership
organization of people concerned about the impact of technology on society.
For automatic or live info email to cpsr-info@cpsr.org; you may also contact
CPSR, P.O. Box 717, Palo Alto, CA 94302, (415) 322-3778.
Your membership, participation, and support is welcome.
-- END --
------------------------------
From: genghis@ilces.ag.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman)
Date: 22 Jun 94 21:32:50 GMT
Subject: Re: Watch your subscriptions...
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
OHS@neu.edu writes: 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?
I dunno, but thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to look up Richard
Nixon's SSN and use that when my PC Week renewal form comes through. ;-)
--
Scott Coleman tmkk@uiuc.edu
President ASRE (American Society of Reverse Engineers)
Ed Green Fan Club #005
Life is temporally limited -- drive velocitously!
------------------------------
From: David Ruggiero <osiris@halcyon.com>
Date: 23 Jun 1994 00:30:14 GMT
Subject: Re: Watch your subscriptions...
Organization: Organizazed? _Me?_
OHS@neu.edu writes: 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 [snip] Are we
looking at yet another set of data for some new database
cross-matching?
Don't know, but it _may_ be that PC Week subscriptions are so coveted
(at least the free ones) that Ziff-Davis has to go through
extraordinary steps to weed out 'legit' requests from the ones they
consider not so. I remember applying (unsucessfully) a few years back;
they sent a letter et one point asking me to verify that the address
I'd given was indeed that of my office location, not my home: they'd
clearly taken the time to run it through a database that had pegged it
as "residential" (which it was, since I work out of my home).
Perhaps they feel the SSN will help them in the effort to uniquely tag
each request, or maybe they want to verify that you are who you say you
are (I imagine a substantial number of requests for subscriptions are
not entirely truthful...people *really* want that magazine.)
--
David Ruggiero (jdavid@halcyon.com) Osiris Technical Services, Seattle WA
Le coeur a ses raisons, que la raison ne connait point.
------------------------------
From: Scott Bennett <bennett@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Date: 22 Jun 1994 23:32:47 -0500
Subject: Re: Physical Location via Cell Phone
Organization: Northern Illinois University
Prof. L. P. Levine <levine@blatz.cs.uwm.edu> writes: 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
All of what Derek Atkins wrote is true. However, what he describes
differs from the reports on the evening news, which said that a lady in
her car recognized Simpson and used *her* cellular phone to call the
police and report his location.
Scott Bennett, Comm. ASMELG, CFIAG
Systems Programming
Computer Center
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
**********************************************************************
* Internet: bennett@cs.niu.edu bennett@netmgr.cso.niu.edu *
* BITNET: A01SJB1@NIU *
**********************************************************************
------------------------------
From: rotheroe@neptune.convex.com (Dave Rotheroe)
Date: 23 Jun 1994 10:48:48 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Re: Physical Location via Cell Phone
The technology exists to track a cell phone to much greater resolution
than just what cell it is in. Cell phones are transmitters, and though
they don't just blast out a signal, they can be tracked like other
transmitters can. Resolution can be quite good - to finding a car in a
parking lot (quickly), especially if there are a number of listeners
getting good triangulation on the signal. It's interesting that you
bring this up at this time, because such tracking is one of the
security issues for the world cup soccer games, at least here in
Dallas. Like you mentioned, a phone call need not be in progress, just
the phone powered. While very scary to personal freedom, an
interesting side note is the technology can be used for good as well -
like tracking a stolen car to allow it's quick recovery and the arrest
of the thief.
==================================================================8--<
Dave Rotheroe rotheroe@convex.com DoD#0045
CONVEX Computer Corporation, Richardson, TX 75083-3851, (214) 497-4512
What if there were no hypothetical questions? TIP#003 (KotL)
------------------------------
From: bernie@fantasyfarm.com (Bernie Cosell)
Date: 24 Jun 1994 03:13:06 GMT
Subject: Re: Physical Location via Cell Phone
Organization: Fantasy Farm, Pearisburg, VA
Prof. L. P. Levine writes: 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.
Well, that is actually only partly correct: the report I read the
following day said that Cowling *told* them where he was. Moreover, he
dialed 9-1-1 to do so: in almost every location I know of where 911
service is present, it includes special machinery _precisely_ to allow
the emergency-response folk to locate you if you call it, so even in an
otherwise-secure cell net [which the actual one is not, of course], I
would have expected some kind of special 'find you' stuff to be
switched in if you call 911.
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.
*ONLY* if they use it. If you just don't *USE* a cellular phone, they
can't track you or learn anything about your location, as far as I
know. And of course, the cynical view is that anyone who broadcasts
their identity and location out into the ether on a radio transmitter
and is then surprised if someone else can figure out where they are
broadcasting from is pretty naive.
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!
Again, this strikes me as excessively alarmist. Even if such a
fine-grained breakdown becomes possible, it seems to me that it is
easily thwarted simply by not using a cellular phones. It is just
another of the many iterations of the same old tune: are you willing to
trade a little convenience for a little privacy. No "Risks", no "grand
conspiracies", no rhetorical "think about how bad the future will be",
just a simple "those who care about the tradeoff won't make it, and
those who don't care will". I see neither a risk nor a privacy problem
here... just SOP stuff...
--
Bernie Cosell bernie@fantasyfarm.com
Fantasy Farm Fibers, Pearisburg, VA (703) 921-2358
------------------------------
From: tnyurkiw@lagrange.uwaterloo.ca (Tom Yurkiw)
Date: 23 Jun 1994 14:46:38 -0400
Subject: Re: Information Required by Employer
Organization: University of Waterloo
jdunn@hnssys1.hns.com (Joe Dunn) writes: Does someone in Canada
have the option of not receiving their great benefits?? Does one
have to pay into the Canada Pension Plan???
No, CPP and UIC must be deducted by the employer. CPP seems to be
similar to the American Social Security; you start collecting when you
turn 65. However, now the government is taxing back the entire
benefits of high- income people -- (ie. you contributed all your life
to the CPP, but because you now have an income >$50 000, you don't get
the benefits... but that's a whole other issue).
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...
I don't particularly mind the SIN/SSN as long as it's between my
employer and the government... what concerns me, is the temptation to
use the SIN/SSN as an identification number for banks, companies, etc.
My SIN/SSN gives potential access to ALL of my employment and income
statistics. I don't care if it's cheap and convenient for Wal-Mart or
whoever, to track my account with the SIN/SSN, it's none of their
business.
Unless you want to argue for the abolition of income tax, SS, etc.
making the SIN/SSN optional would just cost the taxpayers more money.
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.
Would an SSN by any other name smell just as sweet? !
------------------------------
End of Computer Privacy Digest V4 #081
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