YOU JUST MADE MY LIST
Jul. 17th, 2010 08:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
defrogITEM: Utah officials identify at least two state workers who allegedly accessed confidential documents to create a list of 1,300 purported illegal immigrants that was mailed to law enforcement officials and the news media to have them publically outed and deported.
So, a few things about this:
1. This case highlights the problem of how yr confidential personal data is handled and protected, and how it can be used against you if it falls into the wrong hands – someone with a political agenda, for example.
2. Note also that the case implies that this was essentially an inside job – the personal information was collected by people who either had direct access to it, or knew which channels to go through to get it. That’s important because when people think about their data being stolen, they picture people from outside the system breaking in. But data can be stolen from the inside as well.
3. I hope the people responsible do jail time for the reasons cited above. The fact that they thought they were doing the cops and America a favor by identifying “lawbreakers” is irrelevant to me because this is not just an illegal immigration issue – it’s about politically motivated people putting together a vigilante hit list with confidential information.
Everyone – regardless of immigrant status – has precious little control over their personal data as it is. The last thing we need is individuals entrusted to that data deciding to use it against us in some righteous outburst.
That said, I do find it amusing (and telling) that some conservatives are hailing the listmakers as heroes, considering that many of the same people were presumably freaking out this time last year over President Hussein Obama’s healthcare enemies list and his plan to use the census to put Republicans in concentration camps.
Which just goes to show.
Too much information,
This is dF
So, a few things about this:
1. This case highlights the problem of how yr confidential personal data is handled and protected, and how it can be used against you if it falls into the wrong hands – someone with a political agenda, for example.
2. Note also that the case implies that this was essentially an inside job – the personal information was collected by people who either had direct access to it, or knew which channels to go through to get it. That’s important because when people think about their data being stolen, they picture people from outside the system breaking in. But data can be stolen from the inside as well.
3. I hope the people responsible do jail time for the reasons cited above. The fact that they thought they were doing the cops and America a favor by identifying “lawbreakers” is irrelevant to me because this is not just an illegal immigration issue – it’s about politically motivated people putting together a vigilante hit list with confidential information.
Everyone – regardless of immigrant status – has precious little control over their personal data as it is. The last thing we need is individuals entrusted to that data deciding to use it against us in some righteous outburst.
That said, I do find it amusing (and telling) that some conservatives are hailing the listmakers as heroes, considering that many of the same people were presumably freaking out this time last year over President Hussein Obama’s healthcare enemies list and his plan to use the census to put Republicans in concentration camps.
Which just goes to show.
Too much information,
This is dF
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
on 2010-07-23 04:01 pm (UTC)~M~