RunningWithBulls.com - The curse of Sanfermin

Do people really want their information to be protected?

Again, another apt quote from Bruce Schneier’s “Secrets and Lies”:

“Anonymity is more expensive because extra risks are associated with an anonymous system……If you are a merchant, try this experiment. Put a sign up in your store with the words “5 percent discount if you give us your name and address and let us track your buying habits.” See how many customers prefer anonymity. People talk as if they don’t want megadatabases tracking their every spending move, but they are willing to get a frequent-flyer affinity card and give all that data away for one thousandth of a free flight to Hawaii. If McDonald’s offered three free Big Macs for a DNA sample, there would be lines around the block.[……]

There will always be the Swiss-bank-style anonymous payment systems for the rich, who are willing to pay a premium for their privacy.”

But the average consumer isn’t one of those people.

Average consumers will have personal exceptions, but in general they don’t care about anonymity.

A survey in 2004 of average Joe User on the street found:

It also showed that 34% of respondents volunteered their password when asked without even needing to be bribed.

A second survey found that 79% of people unwittingly gave away information that could be used to steal their identity when questioned.

Combine that with people excitment (and I don’t tech. people) over GMail, and I don’t think Average Joe, really knows what he is loosing. They need to be told exactly what is happening.

Social Engineering is simpler than you think. Give em a pen and they’re happy!
I think this is due to the amount of times, if they work in an office where there is an IT dept/group, they are asked for their password for, whatever reasons (installing software, removing spyware etc). People have become used to giving away passwords.
Sometimes they are simply not made aware of the security risk, but how do you explain to someone who doesn’t want to hear?

Digital Rights Ireland are in a good position to explain to people what is happening. They will have to 1) educate the average consumer. Only when the average joe knows about the erosions of their privacy, and loss of online rights, will they actually stand up and complain. firstly in the fight to keep data private and to stop the “digital islands from being bridged together.” They will have to educate joe average to the consequences of having the banking and credit card systems having access to your employment records, your utility bill records.

Secondly, they will have to educate the policy-makers to make policies that maintain people’s privacy and that do not erode people’s rights. These laws that are being made will have to dry some compremise between what the politians want, and what is best for the public. Both sides have to know what is being decided. These laws have to be within bounderies that do not move, as and when Government wishes.

Not singling out one poitician in particular, but can someone explain to me how Prionsias De Rossa can be fighting the Anti Software Patents Issue so strongly and on the other hand have voted for the new legislation bringing Data Retention into europe?

Justin Mason’s take on the Data Retention vote, particularly regarding De Rossa is:

I generally give a high preference to Labour when voting, and before that, Democratic Left, and I’ve voted for him several times in the past. However, I think this may be the deal-breaker. I’m extremely disappointed.

And he is someone who has been fighting against Software Patents.

Joe Average, and Politicians needs to read, or at least have Schenier explained to them.