The Internet can provide functions in a private manner that are
helpful to society, but the kind of information they use can be easily
manipulated. There are countless types of ways in which private
information can be used to someone else's advantage--and to your
consequent disadvantage.
One of these comes from access to Department of Motor
Vehicle files. The information in these systems seems harmless
enough--height, weight, age--but they can be easily misused. Carl
Hausman feels that this Internet function, "also provides an indicator of
your eonomic condition and consumer taste--namely, the type and model year
ofthe car you own" (94). This means that any used-car salesman can login
and easily obtain not only what car they should have available for you,
but how much you can afford when negotiating price. Information like this
is dangerous, especially when a used-car salesman gets a hold of it.
The DMV files are also dangerous simply because they give out
people's address. Information like that can certainly be corrupted, as
discussed already in the Rebecca Schaeffer case. She is a perfect example
of how the general public should not be able to get hold of your address.
The world is a scary enough place with psycho stalkers roaming the
streets, the Internet does not need to give stalkers a reason to start
using their PCs.
Another way in which the Internet can wrongly use your personal
information is through credit history reports. Now, gaining access
to your own credit history is not bad in itself, for it would be nice to know
what exactly they have in there. However, letting others gain access to
your files can be harmful. James Rachels
states that:
The trouble is that all sortsof other information goes into such
files, for example, information about that applicant's sex-life, his
political views, and so forth. Clearly it is unfair for one's application
for credit to be influenced by such irrelevant matters. (71)
A banker or loansman should not be able to know if you are a republican or
a homosexual, for these types of categories breeds discrimination. Having
a credit history, whether good or bad, is one thing; having it tell more
than just the history of your credit is another.
The negative aspects of the Internet holding private information
are endless. The fact that one negative aspect comes out of this shows
that there are obviously some changes on the Internet that needs to be
made.
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