$110 is all it takes (http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-privacy05.html) to purchase cell phone records. Suspicious spouse? Find out who hubby/wifey has been calling. Private investigator? Keeping tabs on the target is easy. Evil genius? FBI agents' contact record is there for the picking.

My my could it be that the Patriot Act is going to spawn this and other examples of how to invade privacy? I think we are going to see more and more examples like this as the Patriot Act is defended. "For every action there is an opposite but equal reaction". Ok this isn't Physics but, the point is the world isn't perfect and things will be exploited. Thank you Patriot Act for paving the way!

I don't know that you can lay this at the feet of the Patriot Act. Technology and human greed suffice to account for this sort of behavior. However, it does demonstrate the increasingly slippery nature of privacy and what constitutes privacy (and reasonable expectation thereof). It'll be interesting to see what legislation might arise from this case, and what ramifications it may hold (and if there's an eventual intersection between fallout from this case and from the wiretapping issue).

Heard about his before. It was why I was telling ya'll you were pretty much giving up any privacy anytime you picked up a cellphone and called your mistress's. ;P

Fandros

This type of thing is annoying. I can't get the phone numbers of anon callers on my own damn land line without a warrant - at least in Illinois.

I've said before, they're over-charging.

I'll sell copies of my phone bill for only $50.

Email isn't a whole lot better. Our district just sent school employees a reminder that all electronic communication through the school is public record, and to watch what we send.

Some of the major criticisms of Google and it's email service claim that the messages are never deleted, and can be requested by an authority at any time.

Your ISP can probably produce a record of where you've surfed, how long, and how often.

I don't like it, but I figure any electronic communication is visible to someone else. Legislation preventing it would be nice, but nothing is ever garunteed.

You could do this before the Patriot Act so how it's suddenly the fault of the President I dont know.

You could do this before the Patriot Act so how it's suddenly the fault of the President I dont know.

Please reread the posts in the thread and quote who is saying it is the President behind this. Heh, guess it is his defenders as well as his detractors that are over-eager to fight sometimes.

Sorry it was kind of implied with My my could it be that the Patriot Act is going to spawn this and other examples of how to invade privacy Seeing as the president is behind the Patriot Act, and the biggest one pushing for it etc etc.

Yeah, it's called sarcasim.

Email isn't a whole lot better. Our district just sent school employees a reminder that all electronic communication through the school is public record, and to watch what we send.


At least here in Georgia, if you are a state employee, anyone can request an open records search and get your email. We're warned about this when we are hired.

It's made a mess for the state on a few occasions allowing a stalker to get access to someone's info.