The question of data mining.?
Aug 03, 2010
in
Mobile Credit Card Processing
Data mining: The process in which a cooperate entity, government or an otherwise unknown clandestine group monitors emails, web transactions, phone conversations, credit card and other various financial transactions, or any other digitally recorded action made by an individual within a society.
This information is used to track, predict, and influence the behaviors and patterns of a specific individual or individuals. It has been suggested that many high level law enforcement agencies are relying more heavily on data mining.
How is data mining not an invasion of privacy, and why aren’t more people up in arms about it?
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4 comments
manwithnoname on August 3, 2010 at 1:30 am
I can only think of one way it’s not an invasion of privacy. If computer programs monitor and cross reference data and produce a potential suspect in a crime, none of the people who had their data reviewed has experienced an invasion of their privacy. They are just nameless faceless entities. The people that do pop up would be scrutinized but this is no different than someone who deposits $50,000.00 in cash in the bank every week. So whether I’m buying all the ingredients to manufacture ecstacy or a bomb, I’m likely to pop up on a watch list.
Pfo on August 3, 2010 at 1:30 am
Data mining may or may not constitute a violation of privacy. It really depends on the extent of the data collected and the purpose of the data mining program.
Consider that if I run a data mining operation where I want to inspect what high speed internet services are available in a given area, all I am concerned about is addresses and availability. Not who lives there, how much money they make or anything else personal, and the goal of this operation is to identify:
- What markets are good for high speed internet to move in to based on lack of availability.
- What options are available for people in a given region.
Would you say the above example is an invasion of privacy that people should be up in arms about?
Edward on August 3, 2010 at 1:30 am
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brown9500.v10 on August 3, 2010 at 1:30 am
It is.
And it is illegal for corporate entities to do it.
You however might be thinking of "tracking" whereby the place cookies on you computer which report your activity.
In that case you need to set your browser security to reject third parties and clear your cookie cash regularly.
edit: I stand corrected Pfo is correct that sniffing traffic is a standard practice of network maintenance.
However that is shallow sniffing which does not open the datagram to the point where content is exposed.
Deep packet sniffing however, would be illegal under most non-governmental circumstances.