Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!bu.edu!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ra!Ra.MsState.Edu!fwp1 From: fwp1@CC.MsState.Edu (Frank Peters) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Re: Lotus Marketplace Message-ID: Date: 19 Nov 90 15:03:22 GMT References: <1990Nov19.000849.23021@math.lsa.umich.edu> Sender: usenet@ra.MsState.Edu Organization: Computing Center, Mississippi State University Lines: 38 Nntp-Posting-Host: tzu.cc.msstate.edu In-reply-to: curt@cynic.wimsey.bc.ca's message of 19 Nov 90 10:04:44 GMT In article curt@cynic.wimsey.bc.ca (Curt Sampson) writes: > This problem would seem to me to have a rather simple solution. Simply > prohibit the storing and using of any personal information in any > database without the explicit consent of each person regarding each > and every database. Said permission should required to be sought > decoupled from any other transaction. Thus, your bank would not be allowed > to sell your name as a condition for obtaining a loan. Perhaps a "distributed" database is the key. Rather than having the actual data, people could have a way to get the data from the rightful owner. The owner of the record (the individual to which it refers) would have complete control over the contents of the record. When she moves, she just updates the address. When someone wants the information, say for a mailing list, that entity would send a request to the server for information from this record. The server would check to see if that entity was authorised to have the particular information requested (address, phone number, SIN, whatnot). If it were, it would send the information, if not, it would deny the request. The owner of the record could then determine who and what kinds of entities have access to which pieces of information. What about things like credit records. My cousin once had an honest misunderstanding with a credit card company. Long after he got the credit card company to admit that the mistake was theirs he was hindered by bad credit information. It took most of a year to get that information corrected. But somehow I doubt potential creditors will accept information from a database that the individual maintains about himself. FWP -- -- Frank Peters Internet: fwp1@CC.MsState.Edu Bitnet: FWP1@MsState Phone: (601)325-2942 FAX: (601)325-8921