Consumer Privacy Revolt

With the failure of some governments (notably the US and Australia) to implement effective privacy legislation, it may be time to start a consumer privacy revolt. Such a revolt would involve withholding all personal information from any company, government or organisation that requested it unless the company etc. entered into a privacy contract with the individual from whom they are requesting information.

Such a contract would commit the company etc. to fair privacy practices with respect to that individuals personal information with agreed penalties for breach of contract by the company etc.

Those asking small businesses to sign the contract could distribute postcards that they would ask the business to send to their elected representatives. There would be two different postcards. One would say something like:

We ... , to keep trading with a customer, have had to sign a Privacy Contract with that customer. To prevent us having to sign such a contract with all of our customers, please enact comprehensive privacy legislation that enshrines fair privacy practices into law.

The other:

We ... , have lost a customer because of the lack of comprehensive privacy legislation. To prevent us losing more customers, please enact comprehensive privacy legislation that enshrines fair privacy practices into law.

If you are interested in the above, or have comments on it, please email me.

Michael Baker,
November 2000

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mbaker@pobox.com

Last updated 8 November 2000