Several initiatives are in the works at both national and international levels of government to address consumer privacy rights. Public records, once the domain of country courthouses, can now be made available to anyone over the internet for a price, via an online data broker. Unfortunately, selling this information is not currently illegal. Obtainable information includes; current addresses, phone numbers, aliases, property ownership, bankruptcies, tax liens, civil judgments, relatives or roommates names, and even a criminal background check (www.usa-people-search.com). Once such company, called CellularTrace, can provide a cellular phone trace for a fee. This company can provide a reverse look-up on a cell phone number, information on a changed or disconnected cell number, or to locate the cell phone number itself (www.cellulartrace.com). Many people believe this is unethical, because stalkers, gangsters, and others can use the date maliciously (Belsen, 2006). Furthermore, CellularTrace provides a Disclaimer (www.cellulartrace.com/disclaimer.htm), which must be agreed to by all who places orders, that states that the person requesting the information is, and/or will use the information for: Law enforcement, fraud or insurance investigation, journalistic endeavors, investigations of missing persons, locating heirs or beneficiaries, collection of monies owed, the location or repossession of mortgaged collateral, licensed private investigation, legal investigations, legal research service of process, witness location, fugitive apprehension, fraud prevention, genealogical research, loss prevention, product recalls, location of former patients (medical industry only), locating customers, previous customers or fraud victim. This implies that the information should be used for the conduct of business in a non-personal way, or for informational purposes only. However, on the CellularTrace website there are pictures of people who appear to be "cheating" on their spouses or significant others, with the following captions: "Suspicions of infidelity are often confirmed by cell phone research", and "Many cheaters try to hide their unfaithful communications by using their cell phones", and finally, "If you suspect your husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend is cheating, and need cellular research to confirm or eliminate your suspicions, we can help by providing number traces, call records, and more!" (www.cellulartrace.com/about_us.htm). Not only is this incendiary advertisement, but it is actually prohibited by their own disclaimer! Legislators have vowed to shut down these sites. The Gramm-Leach-Bailey Act, passed by Congress in 1999, prohibits people from deceiving companies to obtain financial records, but as yet does not cover phone records (Belson, 2006). So, although alarm bells are going off, and people feel it is unethical to sell personal information, it is as yet not illegal.
2. Is there a way to gather proof? Yes, that could be by seen the cell phone historical not just letting go of someone’s words because is a serious matter.
When one looks around in public it is almost impossible not to see someone who is talking, texting, or playing a game on a cell phone. When someone sends a text, the phone company saves it in a data bank where it sits waiting to be u...
In the case, Carpenter v. United States, the question is posed whether the US Government needs to obtain a search warrant before collecting incriminating location information from a cell phone company. Timothy Carpenter was suspected of participating in numerous armed robberies. Therefore, the FBI showed a judge that the records they wanted were related to a criminal investigation, and they received records about Carpenter’s cell phone from his wireless phone company. The records included information about which cell phone towers Carpenter’s phone pinged off of and the call logs. These facts were then presented in Carpenter’s trial, where he was convicted of participating in and organizing nine armed robberies. The FBI is not wrong for using
..., websites and online marketers do find ways around users’ precautions to gain personal information. There are many people out there who want to use personal information like credit card numbers or addresses to cause harm to others. These cases are the extremely negative ones that people want to and should avoid. The case of companies and third parties tracking browsing history and other information for advertising purposes hover over a finer line between good and bad. For some people, tracking can be considered convenient in terms of shopping for what they are interested in, and others may be uncomfortable with the thought of being tracked without knowing. As stated in the beginning, complete privacy is unlikely, but being informed about the tactics of the Internet can help one protect themselves and others in their care to be as careful and private as possible.
Riley vs. California is a recent court case that has redefined cell phone privacy in criminal cases. Decided by the Supreme Court in 2014, it states that cell phones may not be searched without a warrant. Because this decision protects the privacy of arrestees, the judicial process, the trustworthiness of police officers, and does not hinder pending investigations, I support the Supreme Court’s decision.
The government must prove that the records are relevant and helpful in capturing a target first, but essentially the government can make a company give them private information.
Although some people say that this is an invasion of privacy, it's a good way to prosecute
Lye, L. (2013). Keeping cell phones private. If the police have a good reason to search a phone, then they can get a warrant, Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2013/09/16/warrantless-cell-phone-searches-violate-civil-liberties
here’s also a calendar on the phone, with all the information about where we have been and where we are planning to go. All this information is private and sensitive and this has to be protected carefully from criminals and hackers.
We are living in world that is growing in technology. Technology is evolving so rapidly, especially in ways that allow us to store personal information. For example, we can look up a purchase with no receipt at a retail store with a swipe of a credit card. Another example, we could go to the doctor and the nurse can print out a copy of all our health records that are stored in the computer by just typing in our full name. Although this may be a way to make things easier for us, it is also a way for people to take our information without permission and do what they please with it. People can hack into the database of retail stores and steal account numbers and people can just say your name and get your health history if the nurse does not ask for a form of identification. Information privacy is a growing concern for Internet and data users. In a report Protecting Privacy in an Information Age: The Problem of Privacy in Public, researched by Helen Nissenbaum of Princeton University, she states:
Over the past few years, technology has grown to be the driving force in human productivity and efficiency. Technology has been incorporated into our everyday lives to help us perform daily activities and bridge long distance communication. Although technology has brought us many advantages, it has also created quite few ethical issues along the way. Some of the biggest ethical issues technology has created revolve around cell phones. These issues include cell phone tracking and using the cell phone to cheat. Cell phone privacy can be compromised in many situations regarding phone call tracking and messaging. Cell phone use is also starting to be abused by students and other test takers to cheat on tests. Even if the person has good moral standards, sometimes the right decision to make is not always clear.
One of the hottest topics in privacy is regarding our phone conversation with others. It doesn't take a whole lot these days to be in someone's business, in their conversation, breaking the law of privacy with out spending that much time and money. "…Compared to an average monthly phone bill of seventy dollars, the option to wiretap the average phone line is probably worth less than twelve cents a month to police and spy agencies."1 These days, when information is transferred from one person to another, or from point A to point B, there are more people who are interested in know what they are talking about, not just to know but to benefit something out of it. This is illegal if it is done without the knowledge of the individuals involved. Since people are not giving communication privacy enough attention, it is getting to the point that it is out of control of anybody. Anybody can just get up and get in to others conversation with out their knowledge. This is having a big effect in out community these days. There are a lot of scenarios were people are involved in this situation.
Swartz and Allen both offer valuable perspectives on expectation of privacy and legal limitation of cell phone data tracking use. As consumers of technology, Americans use cells phone not always by choice, sometimes by necessity. Both authors advise us to question our stand on the government’s unwarranted involvement in our lives. I would encourage us all to be aware of all technology around us. Albeit convenient, we must be willing to accept our part in its use.
When the internet was considered a global information system in 1995 millions of Americans participated in virtual communication. People began to communicate with each other and personal information began to be placed online by the stroke of the fingertips to their own computer. So the question is the privacy of individuals trusted online? Can people snoop around and see personal information? Of course people can if guidelines are not set in place to protect them. Public and private information can be complex when some individual(s) do not expect their communication to be read outside of their online community. What will be discussed are some ethical responsibilities that need to take place in the United States. Respecting the individual privacy and honor confidentiality is a must in this country.
The Internet has received a great deal of attention in the media lately due to its tremendous