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It isn't just property databases. Wisconsin has most of its arrest and court records online. (I discovered that a former law-school classmate of mine has had two traffic violations and was a defendant in a civil lawsuit.) The federal courts have put many of their records online through a system called Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER). Among the data available: Social Security numbers; financial assets, which often must be revealed in court proceedings; and the names and ages of minor children.
Critics say the government has gone too far in making data available online, and there are signs the tide may be turning. California's court system is considering new rules that would deny Internet access to certain court records, including those of criminal, family and mental-health proceedings. "The purpose of making public records accessible is to ensure accountability," says Chris Hoofnagle, legislative counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center. That, he argues, does not require putting details of divorce and child-custody disputes or bankruptcy proceedings on the Internet.
6 FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES AND PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE YOU MAY BE BROADCASTING YOUR PRIVATE INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET
The murder of Amy Boyer, a 20-year-old New Hampshire dental assistant, by an obsessed admirer in 1999 called attention to an obscure part of the cybereconomy--online data brokers. Boyer's assailant paid $45 to Florida-based Docusearch.com for her Social Security number and later purchased the name of her employer. He then tracked her down on the job and killed her.
Data brokers insist they are doing necessary work, providing background information to employers, creditors and other people who legitimately need it. But many sell Social Security numbers and private financial information to anyone willing to pay their fees. Often they are the first stop for identity thieves and stalkers.
Data brokers get most of their information from government records. Privacy advocates want governments to be more selective about what information they allow brokers to harvest. California, for example, has a law that permits police to release arrest data to reporters while withholding it from businesses that would use it for commercial purposes. Privacy advocates say more jurisdictions should follow California's lead.
The Internet makes it easier for people to broker information about people they don't like. In Seattle, a battle is raging over Justicefiles.org a frequent critic of local law enforcement. The group began posting police officers' Social Security numbers on its website. A state court has ordered the group to stop, holding that it was infringing on the officers' privacy rights. Free-speech advocates are fighting the ruling, arguing that there is no basis for preventing the dissemination of truthful, legally obtained information.
7 YOUR COMPANY OR YOUR SPOUSE MAY BE USING YOUR COMPUTER TO SPY ON YOU