how about this one: http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/Feds+order+airlines+to+divulge+passenger+details/2100-1029_3-5376365.html

Jeez, why are you so upset? The article says it's only used to track down criminals - usually counterfeiters. Are you engaging in criminal activity kasia?

Go read some Orwell Dave, it will do you good.

once, when i worked in the "service sector," a gentleman refused to produce a "loyalty" card because he figured that the company would use it to track his preferences. he was right, of course, but the irony of having paid for the purchase with a major credit card never even occured to him.

the point being, if you really wanted to escape the watchful eye of the "man" - for whom we all work anyway - you'd have to spend the rest of your days in a yurt on the steppes...

Yah, I know we're constantly tracked, but with credit cards I know it happens.. I would never dream such is the case with my printer. My point: disclosure is important.

And how far does this go before we decide "enough"? What happened to our rights?

I have read Orwell. I really don't understand why you're so upset, unless you're engaging in criminal activities (or planning to).

PS - back in the day, letters could be tracked to specific typewriters!

PS2 - The government has your fingerprints on file!

PS3 - Your dentist has your dental records on file!

PS4 - Put another layer of foil on your pointy hat!

I find the infamous "If you're not doing anything wrong, then you have nothing to worry about" philosophy to be quite naive. It's part of the traditional justification for abuse of power.

We all have a right to privacy. Not some of us. Not most of us. All of us.

Things like this are scary because of the future that they imply. Sure, now it is just encodings in printouts -- but soon it may be something much more intrusive.

So, I feel that it is important to take a stand when *anyone's* rights are violated. Now, I need to go... uhh, investigate this further.

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you're right about disclosure, kasia.

an example for the "i've done nothing wrong" crowd:

the government has access to all of my medical records, obviously. those records had always been managed internally, but the responsibility has been sold to accenture, an american company.

the irritating thing about that is, that under the patriot act, subsidiaries of US corporations (i'm in canada) have to surrender data to the FBI, and are not allowed to notify us that the request has even been made.

so, i've done nothing wrong, but suddenly my medical records are exposed. do i trust your government not to sell my records or abuse my privacy? hell, no. and once they're public domain, how will they be used against me? will i be denied insurance, or even the right to cross international borders?

while, at one time, i trusted the government to maintain the confidentiality of my records, now i have no guarantees. there is now a profit motive behind the invasion of my privacy.

kasia: "Thanks Xerox and Canon, you officially stink for handing over the privacy of your customers. Who exactly pays for your companies to stay in business?"

http://www.prospect.org/weblog/archives/2004/11/index.html#004862 : "[T]he government threatened to award massive government contracts to competitors who would agree to install the encoding devices on all of their equipment."

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The worst part for me is that, like most technology measures designed to supposedly “fight crime", it is easily circumvented by people who would want to remain anonymous for that purpose (go print at Kinko’s), so it just ends up being an annoying invasion of privacy for people who have no intention of breaking the law.