Aug 04 2008
Free-Marketeers and the American Way: It’s Everyman for himself
Welcome to the world of electronic surveillance. It is everywhere and is being used for everything. It is in the computer you are using to read this post…tracking this and every other site you visit. It is in your bank card, tracking your every move. It is alive and well in each and every institution that ever had record of your Social Security Number. Your ‘electronic fingerprint’ is everywhere; and believe me, it can be used against you!
The Washington Post reports this morning that insurance companies now have access to an individual’s “Health credit report” —a defacto medical profile created by commercial database firms, based on pharmacy records of medications prescribed and filled over the past five years. “Collecting and analyzing personal health information in commercial databases is a fledgling industry, but one poised to take off as the nation enters the age of electronic medical records.” The article states that to date, the databases contain the records of “more than 200 million Americans”. Thank you Free-Marketeers—once again, you demonstrate yourselves to be without conscience, soul, or an ounce of respect for what it is to be American.Most people never think about it. They just go about their lives and pay no attention to the fact that every move they make can and is traceable. As stated in today’s article, “…the practice also illustrates how electronic data gathered for one purpose can be used and marketed for another…”
For me, the looming question remains: “Did you, U.S. Citizen, knowingly give assent to have the personal facts of your life placed in what you thought was a trusted database, only to learn later, that database had been commercialized—weaponized if you will– and could be used against you?”
When discussing this issue with many people the most common post 9/11 response I hear is, “So what, I have nothing to hide!” My response is, “That is not the point!” The presumption of guilt in freely giving up one’s right to privacy is not the point. The point is retroactive and cumulative…The point just might be found in the ideal of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and possibly in some liberal interpretation of that pesky 4th Amendment…
I wonder if one of these companies that is “collecting data” is connected to the state health departments? We received paperwork stating that we could opt out of having our newborn’s information stored in the state health department’s database. We took that option! I wonder what companies (phone, retail, pharmaceutical, etc.) will end up with access to the health information of those who did not choose to opt out? (and when the direct marketing will begin)