Collection of personal info

I sent this to the risks moderator some time back, but I guess
he didn't like it.  For those of you who think that perhaps
people advocating cybercash are just a bunch of paranoid lunatics.

--------------
As advertised in the trade magazine "DM News" (Direct Marketing News),
Apr. 24, 1997, V. 17 N. 16.  I've typed the entire text of the advertisement,
any typos are mine.

From the huge number of people in the database, it would seem that TRW
is now marketing a subset of their credit records they keep on everyone.
Does anyone else remember the flap over Lotus' product (Magellan) that
was going to allow something similar?  

The risks? This is the perfect database if you want to red-line your offerings.
I'm sure others will have more creative answers. 


--------------
TRW DISCOVERED


Some very smart people are uncovering exciting ways to increase response rates,
find profitable customers, and develop new market niches.  It's been a well
kept secret.  Now it's out.

It's TRW.

It all started with the search for more creative information solutions.
Solutions that help you discover hidden markets and unique ways of using
ordinary data to target qualified prospects.

The result: a proven and massive database in the hands of people with
real data management know-how.

So far the findings have revealed:
 o A database of 170+ million consumers
 o 100+ demographic, psychographic and geographic selects
 o A full range of computer services.
 o Comprehensive motor vehicle data

From this comes an array of products and services to intrigue even the most
seasoned direct marketer.  One of these is called the TRW Smart Targeting Tools (SM).
It links 98 million households with the goods and services they are most likely
to buy.  Choose consumer names by 50 neighborhood or 3600 household level clusters,
by 56 broad product categories or by 516 specific product or brand preferences.

Looking at all the advantages, TRW may be the direct marketer's find of this
century.  And the next.

Energize your marketing.  Contact your TRW representative or call 800.527.3933
Ext 640.  You have a great find ahead of you.


TRW Target Marketing Services
Your one source for reaching all the right people.

701 TRW Parkway
Allen, TX 75002-3717
800.527.3933



David Neal <dneal@usis.com> - GNU Planet Aerospace 1-800-PLN-8-GNU
Unix, Sybase and Networking consultant. "...you have a personal responsibility 
to be pro-active in the defense of your own civil liberties." - S. McCandlish

David Neal <dneal@usis.com> writes:

>I sent this to the risks moderator some time back, but I guess
>he didn't like it. 

     I can guess why; PGN might be skeptical of your precognitive powers. B->

>...
>As advertised in the trade magazine "DM News" (Direct Marketing News),
>Apr. 24, 1997, V. 17 N. 16.  I've typed the entire text of the advertisement,
          ^^^^


-Tom Swiss / tms@tis.com

On Wed, 6 Sep 1995, Thomas M. Swiss wrote:

> 
> David Neal <dneal@usis.com> writes:
> 
> >I sent this to the risks moderator some time back, but I guess
> >he didn't like it. 
> 
>      I can guess why; PGN might be skeptical of your precognitive powers. B->
> 
> >...
> >As advertised in the trade magazine "DM News" (Direct Marketing News),
> >Apr. 24, 1997, V. 17 N. 16.  I've typed the entire text of the advertisement,
>           ^^^^

Well, I did say all typos were _mine_ -- That's 1995 folks, just for the
record and thanks to Tom Swiss for being the first in a long line
of people who will point this out. :-)

But back to the topic; am I the only one who gets the willies just
reading this?

| But back to the topic; am I the only one who gets the willies just
| reading this?  

	No.  But the interesting question is, what to do about it?
The answer in part, is personal anonymity through cash and avoiding US
IDs.  But in the long run, thats broken.  You can't have privacy for
1000 people; they'll just toss us all in jail.

	In the long run, we need to convince most Americans that their
freedom is worth more than the Drug War.  The only way to do that is
to look and sound reasonable, and convince people a few at a time.  Do
it with letters to the editor, editorials, articles for your local
newspaper, discussions on the street.

	Try not to rant; if you sound like a nut, people dismiss your
ideas along with you.  Be reasonable and measured.  Use a spell
checker.  Stick to one idea, and give a few backing points.  Don't
insult your opponent.  Don't try for a convoluted closing or slogan.

	(This isn't to disparage the creation of new facts, like an
international remailer network.  I am saying that the problems are as
much political as technological.)

Adam


-- 
"It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once."
					               -Hume

On Wed, 6 Sep 1995, Adam Shostack wrote:

> 	No.  But the interesting question is, what to do about it?
> The answer in part, is personal anonymity through cash and avoiding US
> IDs.  But in the long run, thats broken.  You can't have privacy for
> 1000 people; they'll just toss us all in jail.

I doubt if TRW will throw you in jail for avoiding their database.  Last 
time I looked, it wasn't (very) illegal to avoid US IDs.

DCF

> Well, I did say all typos were _mine_ -- That's 1995 folks, just for the
> record and thanks to Tom Swiss for being the first in a long line
> of people who will point this out. :-)

-would you expect anything less from us? <g>
> 
> But back to the topic; am I the only one who gets the willies just
> reading this?  

Beyond having the willies.. This is more than just scary, it feels like
rape when you think about it for awhile. Everything you buy, on credit, is
recorded and sold to someone who wants to know your secrets. Everytime 
you make a banking transaction, someone is watching and compiling the 
data. 

Is there any legal recourse to get your name removed from the sellable list?
Or is it too late and we can not save even the vestiges of our privacy?

Oh, but if only I had the 'hacker' skill to break into such a database..
I have always been against the destruction of data.. but there are 
exceptions...

RobL <another newbie to the list.. >