Computers and Privacy

[Laura Weinheimer]

Computers and privacy
With the increased use of computers to communicate and shop
electronically, vast quantities of confidential and sensitive
information are being stored in computer databases and are being
transferred electronically via the internet. Luckily, encryption
technology has been developed to scramble personal information, ensuring
privacy. Using this technology, information is scrambled and can only be
unscrambled and read using a key code. However, as a result of internet
crime and terrorism, the American federal government wants to crack
individual encryption codes, eliminating privacy of electronically
transmitted information. This movement threatens the privacy of millions
of innocent people. Without encryption, contents of individual¹s email,
credit card numbers, medical information etc. can be easily obtained by
unauthorized people during electronic transactions. For example, email
must travel through several hosts before reaching its destination.
Encryption prevents these messages from being intercepted and read by
those who have access to intermediary hosts. Even though the government
has already succeeded in severely limiting encryption technology
available on the market today, it is still moving towards making
encryption technology entirely illegal. This movement has created great
controversy over whether encryption is actually a tool enabling freedom
of speech and should therefore be protected under the First Amendment.
Increasing opposition to government action advocates the government
actually fostering the protection of privacy through the continuation
and improvement of encryption technology.

[Ben Janetos]

Post by Laura Weinheimer
Computers and privacy
With the increased use of computers to communicate and shop
electronically, vast quantities of confidential and sensitive
information are being stored in computer databases and are being
transferred electronically via the internet. Luckily, encryption
technology has been developed to scramble personal information, ensuring
privacy. Using this technology, information is scrambled and can only be
unscrambled and read using a key code. However, as a result of internet
crime and terrorism, the American federal government wants to crack
individual encryption codes, eliminating privacy of electronically
transmitted information. This movement threatens the privacy of millions
of innocent people. Without encryption, contents of individual¹s email,
credit card numbers, medical information etc. can be easily obtained by
unauthorized people during electronic transactions. For example, email
must travel through several hosts before reaching its destination.
Encryption prevents these messages from being intercepted and read by
those who have access to intermediary hosts. Even though the government
has already succeeded in severely limiting encryption technology
available on the market today, it is still moving towards making
encryption technology entirely illegal. This movement has created great
controversy over whether encryption is actually a tool enabling freedom
of speech and should therefore be protected under the First Amendment.
Increasing opposition to government action advocates the government
actually fostering the protection of privacy through the continuation
and improvement of encryption technology.

the government is wrong in their actions. They feel that they can
better serve society by monitoring the internet content, but they are
not aware that if they are able to monitor email, then internet hackers
are also able to get their fingers on the information stored in
personalized emails. This act will never pass legislation and it is
only in time that this whole idea will be thrown out. It is also in due
part that the us government has this sort of things with their people
and are persuading the canadian government to follow suit.