The Internet & Personal Privacy Do Not Co-Exist

Recently there were two stunning breaches of the supposed firewall protecting user’s personal information and the shiny toys they love so much. According to Bloomberg, there were privacy breaches into storage units of data for Apple and Sony Playstation.

It seems that the iPhone and the iPad “track[s], stor[es] and shar[es] data about the location of users.” Also:

A report by O’Reilly Radar, a website owned by Sebastopol, California-based publisher O’Reilly Media has said Apple devices log latitutde-longitude coordinates along with the tie of visits to locations across the globe.”

Apple denies that it’s tracking your location and says it only saves WiFi information to inform you where the nearest cell tower is. Hmmm.

Meanwhile, in Sony Playstation Network land, 77 million users have been hacked and may have had their personal data stolen. New reality show: You’ve Been Hacked! And sad/funny/touching stories thereof.

It’s time for all you knuckleheads to wake up and recognize that the concept of privacy on the Internet is an oxymoron. That means it’s a contradiction in terms. The coin of the realm on the Net is personal information. That’s the money making gold standard, selling your personal information.

On the underground side, there are thriving businesses in selling stolen credit card and social security numbers. Can anyone say, “Identity theft”? And guess what! You’re not well protected in the law against identity theft. If your credit card is lost or stolen, you’re not liable for expenses after you report your loss. But identity theft is an entirely different matter. You are considered guilty until you prove your innocence.

Just because something, a technological advance, let’s say, hasn’t been regulated and is not technically illegal doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be made so and fast. As fast as shooting a Terminator on your Playstation at arm’s length.