Date: Thu, 25 Aug 94 07:18:12 EST Errors-To: Comp-privacy Error Handler From: Computer Privacy Digest Moderator To: Comp-privacy@uwm.edu Subject: Computer Privacy Digest V5#026 Computer Privacy Digest Thu, 25 Aug 94 Volume 5 : Issue: 026 Today's Topics: Moderator: Leonard P. Levine Computer Privacy in Illinois Credit Card privacy violation Re: Internet White Pages Re: National Registry: Equifax for Driving Records? Re: Electronic Cash Digital Cash - WWW Site Re: Big Brother at Checkout Stand Re: Big Brother at Checkout Stand --------------------------------------------------------------------- Housekeeping information is located at the end of this Digest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: nobody@kaiwan.com (Anonymous) Date: 22 Aug 1994 22:19:23 -0700 Subject: Computer Privacy in Illinois Organization: KAIWAN Internet (310/527-4279,818/756-0180,714/741-2920) This message did not originate from the above address. It was automatically remailed by an anonymous mail service. Please report inappropriate use to I am in the midst of a divorce action. I read somewhere on the net the divorce attorneys are commonly suggesting and arranging for extracting information from the opposing spouses computer as a source for evidence. This in fact has happened to me. In the same article, I saw that in many states (including Illinois) this action may be illegal. Can anyone tell me where I can get the appropriate legal text for the state of IL relating to this matter. An internet source would be great, but I'll go the library if I need to instead. While there is nothing incriminating in the material that was extracted from my computer, if this action was illegal I'd like to show my wife's attorney for the schmuck that he is. ------------------------------ From: Ken Bass Date: 23 Aug 1994 09:52:22 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Credit Card privacy violation [This appears on the news wire. It is posted w/o permission] HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1994 AUG 17 (NB) -- First Data Corp., a leader in the "back end" of credit card processing agreed to purchase part of Envoy Corp., a leader in card issuing technology, which will create a "closed-loop" in which it could sell data on customers to merchants. Company officials were very careful in describing what they hope to do, emphasizing that the result will only be special offers given to customers by their banks which increase the value of their credit cards. First Data is creating a new company, to be owned by its clients, which will determine terms and conditions under which information will be made available, rules it says will protect customer privacy. Still, the move into what FDR Chief Financial Officer Walter Hoff called "information processing" could prove controversial. Roger Peirce, president of FDC's Electronic Funds Services unit, admitted as much during a conference call to analysts attended by Newsbytes. "We've been sensitive to public policy concerns. If it's not handled right there could be a backlash," he said. When Equifax said a few years ago it would sell mailing lists based on customer purchases to merchants, public pressure forced it to back-away. So Peirce took the time to explain exactly how FDR will handle this new potential revenue-stream. "The primary fuel of growth in credit cards is displacing cash and checks. It's fueled by additional features on cards, like those of the AT&T Universal Card," which offers discounts on AT&T services to users of its Master Card. "We can provide information and access on the cardholder base to merchants in selective ways -- providing an upscale hotel with information about upscale travelers demonstrating certain types of behavior." The Ritz-Carlton Hotel chain, for instance, could learn the names of customers who travel to Atlanta frequently, and offer these customers discounts at its two hotels there. "There are an infinite variety of combinations, like electronic couponing, all of which can be enabled in a closed-loop environment." By working closely with its clients, Peirce hopes, First Data can avoid privacy problems. "What makes our approach unique is that as we provide promotions to cardholders, all the information will be distributed through the card-issuing bank, through its normal channels of communication." For instance, "You have a relationship with the bank. Your bank already has information on your purchase and spending patterns. We won't allow the general information about your buying habits to be distributed to merchants. What we'll provide is controlled access -- if the merchant wants to know cardholders who've traveled to Atlanta, and will provide significant value, then if that value is distributed to the cardholder through communication controlled by the bank, it frees us from the privacy problems, and it makes the bank appear to be bringing value to the cardholder." First Data is the world's largest processor of credit card accounts for banks and other institutions with over 75 million accounts on file. It is also the largest processor of transactions, handling over 1.3 billion per year for over 1.3 million merchants. First Data officials acknowledged in the conference call, however, that their front-end, card issuance, has been considered weak. They praised this part of Envoy, with Hoff noting "they've never lost a transaction." The transaction is still subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, and should close in the first quarter of 1995. First Data is paying $156 million in FDR stock for Envoy, and could pay another $21 million in stock, based on Envoy's future performance. Envoy's business will represent about 12 percent of FDR's total business once the deal is complete. FDR officials also noted that Envoy has a strong presence in industries like restaurant and lodging, while FDR's strengths are in convenience stores, independent sales organizations and general retailers. This will create new cross-sale opportunities, the company said. Envoy had revenues of $29 million in 1993, and normal industry growth indicates it could have revenues of $40 million this year. In 1993, FDR had net income of $173 million on revenue of $1.5 billion. (Dana Blankenhorn/19940817/Press Contact: First Data Corp., Gary P. Tobin, 201-525-4707) ------------------------------ From: John Medeiros <71604.710@compuserve.com> Date: 23 Aug 94 00:24:50 EDT Subject: Re: Internet White Pages skypatrl@crl.com (Albert Zhou) writes: What can one do with an e-mail address? Sending junk mails? They are much easier to dispose than paper junk mails. Try to stalk me? Haha.. Tempt not fate, lest those with less regard for you fill (as in several thousand messages) your electronic mailbox with material that an old sailor would find objectionable. Then again, if you don't mind sifting through to find your mail, I guess its okay. Personally, I'd be mad. "Stalk you", laugh not, remember, he who laughs last, laughs best. Some of the crackers around us are quite capable of doing just that. Everything that someone can do to you in the "real world" can be done to you here. Well, almost everything. ------------------------------ From: "David M. Bruce" Date: 23 Aug 1994 22:13:28 GMT Subject: Re: National Registry: Equifax for Driving Records? Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology skypatrl@crl.com (Albert Zhou) writes: It seems like many states rely on a database National Registry rather than respective DMV's for driving records. All states have their own DMV database systems. All states can access each other's databases throught the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) system at the FBI in Washington, DC. According to some personal accounts, this database is full of eroneous and outdated information, and in many cases, the drivers have to bear the burden of correcting the errors. According to Wired Magazine, DMV databases are some of the most accurate databases in the United States. Dave Bruce ------------------------------ From: nevin@cs.arizona.edu (Nevin Liber) Date: 23 Aug 1994 15:23:54 -0700 Subject: Re: Electronic Cash Organization: University of Arizona CS Department, Tucson AZ Paul McKeever wrote: Anonymity is not a problem with digital cash. For example, I hold a card for a photocopier. Currently, I pay cash to have credits (for example, money) charged-up onto it's magnetic strip. When I use my card at the photocopier, the copier does not know to whom the card belongs...it simply takes credits off of my photocopy card. The technology you describe is no different than paper cash is today, other than the use of a magnetic medium instead of having bunches of paper and coins. There isn't much value added by this approach over paper cash (the only two things I can think of are that you don't have to fumble around with change, and the photocopiers don't have to be in a secure area, since they never contain any legal tender). I'd suspect that it is fairly easy to forge. People want to be able to use digital cash for things like paying for goods and services over the Internet. What this does is free me from being physically present when I want to do an anonymous transaction. The scheme above is inadequate for this. -- Nevin ":-)" Liber nevin@cs.arizona.edu (602) 293-2799 ------------------------------ From: sutter@verisoft.com (Paul Sutter) Date: 23 Aug 1994 23:38:15 +1700 Subject: Digital Cash - WWW Site There has been a bit of discussion here regarding David Chaum's article in Scientific American and Digital Cash. The article and other information can be found using Mosaic: http://digicash.support.nl/ Paul Sutter ------------------------------ From: bernie@fantasyfarm.com (Bernie Cosell) Date: 24 Aug 1994 11:45:14 GMT Subject: Re: Big Brother at Checkout Stand Organization: Fantasy Farm, Pearisburg, VA Joe Dunn writes: klootzak@stein3.u.washington.edu (Michael Stuyt) writes: I know the new Colorado Licenses have a magstrip on the back. Probably be at the point where you drag the license through a reader as proof of age... isn't that great. Your driving record will be on that magnetic strip. how many liquor stores or bars will sell to you knowing you've been dwi?? think of the legal ramifications they face if they do and you get in an accident after drinking there?? ... complete invasion of privacy... Perhaps you could take this a bit slower, since I'm having trouble following your point. Are you claiming that making the *public*record* of your prior convictions for dwi known is somehow an invasion of privacy? Or are you claiming that it is wholly inappropriate to for the gov't to regulate the selling of alcohic products? What 'privacy' are you talking about here and exactly how is it being invaded? -- Bernie Cosell bernie@fantasyfarm.com Fantasy Farm Fibers, Pearisburg, VA (703) 921-2358 --->>> Too many people; too few sheep <<<--- ------------------------------ From: morris@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Mike Morris) Date: 25 Aug 1994 08:11:49 GMT Subject: Re: Big Brother at Checkout Stand Organization: College Park Software, Altadena, CA dunn@nlm.nih.gov (Joe Dunn) writes: klootzak@stein3.u.washington.edu (Michael Stuyt) writes: I know the new Colorado Licenses have a magstrip on the back. Probably be at the point where you drag the license through a reader as proof of age... isn't that great. Your driving record will be on that magnetic strip. how many liquor stores or bars will sell to you knowing you've been dwi?? think of the legal ramifications they face if they do and you get in an accident after drinking there?? I'd take a magnet and make sure that strip never works, complete invasion of privacy... I think you are jumping to conclusions. I know I did when CA shifted from paper licenses to plastic cards withmag stripes. The claimed purpose of the strip was to get ready for future ticket printing machines that would have a "swipe" reader for entering the info from the license. Yeah. Shure. Time to get a big magnet. Then I read an article here on the net, and another in the L.A. paper. I figured that the newspaper article would be a total acceptance of the new system, no privacy considerations, etc. Well, it was obviously written by a techno-know-nothing, but it was interesting from a problem description standpoint. According to the newspaper, the old paper licenses would fall apart after a few years, and could be altered - change the birthdate (for buying alchol), change the picture, etc... So the state was told to fix the problems. So they decided to go plastic with a digitized picture, and a hologram over the picture. And as long as we're going to shift to a plastic card license, why not use the off-the-shelf credit card blanks. Hey - they have mag stripes - let's use them!. As I remember the posting on the net from a few years ago, someone assembled the equipment to decoded the CA license strip: there were 3 separate data tracks, the first of which had the name & dr. lic. number, and I forget the other two - but it boiled down to the fact that there was nothing on the strip that wasn't on the face of the license. At least in California. You milage (in other states) may vary. -- Mike Morris WA6ILQ | This space intentionally left blank. PO Box 1130 | Arcadia, CA. 91077 | All opinions must be my own since nobody pays 818-447-7052 evenings | me enough to be their mouthpiece... ------------------------------ The Computer Privacy Digest is a forum for discussion on the effect of technology on privacy or vice versa. 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". People with gopher capability can access the library at gopher.cs.uwm.edu. Mosaic users will find it at gopher://gopher.cs.uwm.edu. Archives are also held at ftp.pica.army.mil [129.139.160.133]. End of Computer Privacy Digest V5 #026 ****************************** .