Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!linac!att!ucbvax!hoptoad!gnu
From: gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Lifestyle Information
Message-ID: <17164@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: 18 Apr 91 21:41:49 GMT
References: <11216@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> <9418@rsiatl.Dixie.Com>
Organization: Cygnus Support, Palo Alto
Lines: 37

jgd@Dixie.Com (John G. DeArmond) wrote:
> it is well known that people often times say just the opposite of what
> they do.  Lifestyle information is brutally accurate in documenting
> certain habits.  The conclusions drawn are often incorrect but the
> facts are not.  If your register tape shows you bought 30 lbs of beef last 
> month, you actually bought at least that much.

I wonder if any governments would be willing to pay to locate people who
bought cigarette papers more than once but never bought any tobacco at
all?

How about people who buy lots of blank cassette tapes but never bought any
CD's or albums anywhere?

[Certainly they would catch a few law-abiding people in such a net, but
their rate of finding lawbreakers would be a lot higher than if they
went door-to-door.]

If they have detailed information, down to the person who forked over the
money, and know exactly each commodity they bought, the number of people who
are interested in buying it are almost endless...

I can even see Safeway being willing to sell more 'controversial' items
such as pornographic magazines, if there are buyers who'll pay them to
find out who buys such things.  It's harder to track through those little
fly-by-night porn stores; better to cut a deal with a major distributor
who's already set up to gather the information.  Suppose the local vice
squad offered to pay 50c per name of such people; would this be
considered entrapment?  Would you think it was a good idea?  (Don't
email me your answer, just think about it.  Pretend these are the
end-of-chapter questions in a textbook on privacy :-).
-- 
John Gilmore   {sun,uunet,pyramid}!hoptoad!gnu   gnu@toad.com   gnu@cygnus.com
*  Truth :  the most deadly weapon ever discovered by humanity. Capable of   *
*  destroying entire perceptual sets, cultures, and realities. Outlawed by   *
*  all governments everywhere. Possession is normally punishable by death.   *
*      ..{amdahl|decwrl|octopus|pyramid|ucbvax}!avsd!childers@tycho          *