[ExI] The top secret military research programs we don't get to hear about (was: working memory implant! wow!)

[Eugen Leitl]

On Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 08:43:29AM -0700, spike wrote:
> >... On Behalf Of Eugen Leitl
> ...
> 
> >...And it's only going to get worse. Unless we outlaw this
> obsessive-compulsive data collection...Eugen* Leitl 
> 
> But if we outlaw obsessive-compulsive data collection, only
> obsessive-compulsive outlaws will collect data.

If they're outlaws, they're accountable. You will find that most
management and politicians aren't exactly keen on becoming felons.
Fines, incarceration and such are typically bad for one's career.

As to private individuals, they do not have the infrastructure.
In fact, they *should* collect data on captains of industry and
politics. As these wield far more power (including the power to write
laws for corrupt politicians) than you they need to be far more 
accountable. Panopticon, yes, but only the reversed kind.
 
> Furthermore, it will make the collected data more valuable, which will
> compel even the non-obsessive to collect data.

Spike, you're welcome to collect whatever data you can. 
 
> An alternate strategy is to figure out ways to mess up databases by
> cluttering it with phony signals.  I can think of a hundred ways to do this.

Everybody would have to do it, and it wouldn't work. Consider
traffic camers or phones. Would you really swap license plates,
phones and phone smartcards with random strangers?

> We could easily degrade the signal strength to make the databases nearly

No, that would be trivial to detect by even the shallowest data
mining. In fact, those few who care to throw monkeywrenches
into the works of the system will stand out like sore thumbs,
and shortly find themselves on a shitlist. Wait... this is exactly
what is happening!

> worthless.  If you go into Spokeo or one of the many equivalents, you can
> see the information collected there is plentiful but of questionable
> accuracy.

You will find that people at Ft Meade have plenty of juicy database slots
under your name. Including all of your contacts. 

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org
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