| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/24/2009 2:24:30 PM | With the terrorism paranoia bestowed upon us all who have traveled outside the country have experienced the search and inquisitions, here as well as in most other countries.
Also internally whenever dealing with any parts of government there are questions, forms etc.
Thanks to computers and interlinked database systems governments have more information on most of us than what we can remember about ourselves.
Simply scanning your passport or other ID a clerk has instant access to a tremendous amount of personal data to verify the identity, still often we get questioned about irrelevant and personal information.
Those who have traveled or had exposure to totalitarian states such as the former East Block will know that a state can and has used such privet data for any intent or purpose including persecution etc.
Even our democracies have resorted to such measure as recent events perpetrated against persons of Middle Eastern or Muslim background prove.
We also have seen democracies can change and we do know information from your homeland may be accessible to other nations we may visit.
Anything that is known or that you provide can be held against you!
Aside from the tremendous costs involved do you think it is necessary for governments collect and have access to so much private information? | |
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| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/24/2009 4:47:31 PM | You know it ML
Good thing, we have federal, and provincial Access to Information Commissionaires.
Slow as the system is, I use them, and they do their best.
However, we are still at the mercy of the bureaucrats that take direction from the current elected official.
Most often, if you have an issue that requires current information, by the time the bureaucrats bleed-out your requested info, the issue your has become moot. | |
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| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/24/2009 9:40:38 PM | I'm not sure how to address this issue. I have never travelled a great deal, and my cultural heritage for the most part makes it easier to travel most places, that anyone else can, with relative ease.
Several things horrify me here at home though. One is the staggering amount of bureaucracy we support in order to, supposedly, attend to our needs. The other is the lack of privacy regarding our personal information.
So many things that used to be so simple, have become very complex and expensive. Lineups, communication, access to information. Have you tried contacting Revenue Canada to ask a question. What used to take a simple phone call, can take all day to accomplish, or more! But the bureaucracy seems to feed on itself. It grows and grows and the questions and entitlements become more and more difficult to address. We lack trust, and the days when you were supposed to assume the best of each other are gone for good 
Even worse, business is the number one determinant of what will happen to your personal, private information. There is no guarantee that outsourcing will not happen, that some company in the states or overseas might not end up with access to your personal information. We are now in the throes of the global economy, and its all just one big happy democracy???? No, we are essentially different in our laws and beliefs all around the world, as well as just across the border. Or, at least that is the public version of democracy........
However, I worry more for those whose rights are being trampled when they leave the relative safety of our borders. We are as they say a Mosaic culture, and that means that the more information that we provide about our citizens to other states, the riskier it can be for them to travel abroad. | |
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| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/25/2009 8:33:02 AM | ^^^ you need not have travel experience or be directly involved asking bureaucrats questions.
Information is power, that is very simple and governments have used that power for everything they can, re-election, getting a "project" done, forming public opinions...essentially controlling people. On the good side that is what we want, a country well run. On the bad side as we have seen in history a more or less democratically elected regime turns into dictatorship, gathers all information to control...and start wars...etc similar to governments that rise from revolution. Examples from the past, Uganda (Idi Amin), China (Mao), USSR (Lenin, Stalin), Germany (Hitler).
The Consequences for the people in each of these states were horrific. In each case millions of lives were lost because of a state purpose and real or created information about individuals to suit/justify the cause. Stalin for example sent 2 million people to their death in one swoop, building a canal, they were of specific ethnic background, or believed in a faith or were labeled counterrevolutionaries, basically expendable to the state.
Imagine the information and the speed of processing it we have today. A government could segregate part of a population because they have green eyes, are single, are .....
In Canada we already break some of our guarantied rights under the guise of security of the nation. At airports you may be asked why you travel, where to, and what you plan to do. If you do not answer you can face consequences to be interrogated or are not permitted to travel, yet we have the right to free movement, to be considered innocent until proven otherwise.
While no one really may ever read the millions of peaces of data collected, they are in the system and can be used.
We only trust our authorities that they will not abuse that power. Are we just being naive? | |
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| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/26/2009 10:44:42 AM | My first reaction was 'I don't really care' because I don't do/have anything to be embarassed or secretive about. Personally, I'm more worried about what my Bank does with my credit information.
But yeah, I can see that some pin-headed brown-nosing Government employee at some point down the road could try and impress his boss by pulling information from sources that are supposed to be confidential and causing all kinds of trouble. On an individual basis, these cases should be dealt with accordingly. On a general basis, I can't see that it would ever be an issue to daily living. Naive? Maybe. I don't have the time or energy to sweat it. | |
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| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/27/2009 12:27:27 AM | Of course they do, and it's no secret why. To the government, any kind of rights we may have left are a horrible mistake to be corrected as soon as possible, and information is power.
Our rights and freedoms are chipped away a little bit at a time, supposedly "for our own good."
This is exactly the kind of "sheeple" thinking government loves. They'll tell you that if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about. This is absolutely NOT TRUE. When it becomes politically convenient, you'll have lots to worry about, and most of what they'll have to use against you, you'll have given them yourself.
Think it'll never happen? It already is. Google the "Safe City" project in Toronto, where the police are going around illegally confiscating legally registered firearms. This is theft with a badge, pure and simple.
Think your personal information is safe? The RCMP basically gives it away to all comers, and we all know they'll get away with that as easily as they got away with murder in Vancouver, Privacy Act be damned.
It's only going to get worse. | |
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| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/27/2009 4:25:54 PM | I googled "Safe City". Seems these registered firearms were not being stored properly. Kinda like if you park your car illegally, they tow it.
Canada has it pretty good, and unless anyone can provide solid facts that this government is in a position to abuse whatever collected data they have, this will remain a low priority for me.
Please note, if something came to light which did appear to be an abuse of our human rights, I would be involved in whatever actions were needed to set it right. However, until then... | |
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| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/27/2009 5:14:58 PM | There are both pros and cons to private information being collected and accessible by various organizations.
The paranoid people and those who have something to hide will be among the stronger opponents.
Of benefit to the individual is that medical records and prescriptions can be accessed by more than one health care provider. It happens far too often that someone has been prescribed medication by one physician and another medication prescribed by a different physician, and perhaps filled by a different pharmacy, neither aware what the other has prescribed.
When medications are contraindicated (if taking one you should avoid the other) the patient is at risk for harm.
Case in point; I remember when Mom went to hospital some twenty years ago my sister was concerned about the numerous medications (well over a dozen) she was taking so gathered them up and took the lot to a pharmacist and asked he thought about the mix. The pharmacist expressed great concern, and urged she immediately discontinue several and contacted the hospital.
Mom's doctor was a "pill pusher" and didn't really consider other symptoms or prescriptions before writing yet another script. From what I understand of the system now in place this scenario is far less likely to happen today, because more than one person will be seeing all the pertinent records.
My biggest concern is no so much with the government collecting personal information, but with the responsibility they have safeguarding it and ensuring it doesn't get into the wrong hands. Alas there are far too many news stories of someone finding reams of personal data from various organizations including banks and government. | |
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Moanie
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Joined: 4/16/2008
Msg: 11 | |
| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/27/2009 5:43:06 PM | This is a great site for those who want another perspective on the issues
There are other links at the bottom of the article that will be of interest to you maybe 
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/privacy/why_issue_privacy.cfm
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Moanie
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Joined: 4/16/2008
Msg: 13 | |
| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/28/2009 8:07:00 PM | Moanie, you're younger than I and I can't remember a time when a call to Revenue Canada was ever a simple matter. :)
EdBear: is it possible that you have an interesting past?
edit: ps: thank you for mentioning the age thing ;) | |
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| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/28/2009 8:12:11 PM | | They just might but the good thing is that they are so disorganized that they have no idea what to do with it or for that matter how to access it. While I do not support anarchy, I feel a bit - just a bit - of contempt toward the government. A key descriptor would for government would be the word disorganized. | |
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| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/28/2009 8:13:49 PM | most people arent aware of what goes on
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/gang-stalking
the secret holocaust." hundreds of people are a target of government gang stalking
gang stalking (also called "group stalking," "terrorist stalking," "vigilante stalking," and "organized stalking") is a total assault paradigm, a parallel "justice system." It is carried out by right-wing hate-extremist groups. The GS paradigm includes (but is not limited to):
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verbal threats
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pets are killed.
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physical assault
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derogatory name calling
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mail is stolen or damaged.
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harassing emails and phone calls
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residences and vehicles are vandalized.
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law enforcement and firefighter participation
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the stalkers commit crimes and blame them on the target.
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targets are harassed while driving, and vehicles are sabotaged.
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"street theater": staged skits designed to frighten and upset the target
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the same harassment happens every day, day after day, year after year.
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a large group of stalkers, each of whom does a portion of the stalking-attacks
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persistence: the stalkers follow the target as he/she moves to other cities or states.
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the stalkers use lies, money, and intimidation to get nongroup members to attack the target.
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many of the attacks are synchronized to happen precisely as the target does something, e.g. leave his/her residence.
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24 hour surveillance, every day. Among other things, the stalkers, working in shifts, sit in their vehicles parked around the target's residence.
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"slander campaign": the foundation of gs. The stalkers go to everyone the target interacts with (family members, coworkers, neighbors, etc) and spread lies: that the target is a homosexual or a criminal of some type. This is an effective tactic because most people can't even imagine that a stranger would lie to them.
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the stalkers present themselves as members of a "civic organization" which works with law enforcement and monitors terrorists or other criminals. The stalkers may use fake badges or fake "official files" to convince people that the target is a criminal.
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"noise campaign": very frequent sounds (sirens, car alarms, beeping sounds, loud engine accelerations, loud booming sounds [from vehicles], etc) which follow the target everywhere.
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the stalkers target homosexuals (or people thought to be), members of "left-wing" (e.g. peace, civil rights, environmental) organizations, whistleblowers, people who live "alternative lifestyles" or have angered a member of the group, and anyone else the stalkers see as not conforming with their version of "normality." | |
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Moanie
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Joined: 4/16/2008
Msg: 16 | |
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| Do Governments Collect And Keep Too Much Private Information?
Posted: 9/30/2009 4:24:31 AM | of course they do! and fvck them! never declare your firearms...until the mounties disbanded (and quit working for the yanks) it's time for discretion to be the better part of valour in canadian politics these days
The PMS "Feck Off Stephen Harper!" Nationalist  | |
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