To the Point:

Private Matters

By William E. Scheuerman
UUP President

Personal privacy is under the gun in the United States. Immediately following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, Attorney General John Ashcroft sought legislation giving the federal government increased ability to fight terrorism. The government gained new powers to monitor private conversations, to tap phones, to scrutinize emails, access student records and even to secretly oversee surfing on the Web. Pretty intrusive stuff.

Yet, polls show that a majority of Americans support these actions. They're more concerned with security than privacy and are willing to trade some of their personal privacy for more security. Like it or not, these days the trade-off is at least understandable. But let's not forget that government doesn't have a monopoly on surveillance technologies and invasions of a person's privacy. The private sector has a lot to say -- make that observe -- too.

For years now, Big Brother has thrived in the private and other nongovernmental sectors as much as in government, perhaps even more. Just take a quick look.

Next time you're in a large parking lot, look for the camera. It's probaby there watching you. No, it's not part of an Allan Funt Candid Camera revival; it's far more intrusive and much less humorous than that. It's a surveillance camera put there to protect you and your car. You'll see surveillance cameras at your ATM, in the malls and stores where you shop, and perhaps even in your workplace. In fact, you'll see them almost everywhere. But whether you see them or not isn't the point. The cameras are there to see you.

Feel like Big Brother's watching you? You bet! But this is only the beginning. Your E-Z Pass records pinpoint where you've been, when you've been there and how fast you drove to get there. Your credit card company knows what you bought, where you bought it and when! Your friendly phone company has rocrds of all your calls, as well as who you called and when you called them. Make a call on your cell phone and you can end up as a victim of triangulation. Sounds scary, doesn't it? OK, try to get away from this madness for a day. Don't use a phone. Stay away from malls, supermarkets and ATMs. Relax and enjoy yourself by ordering a movie on Pay TV. Uh oh, now there's a record of that too. And here you are in the privacy of your own home. Did I say privacy?

Yes. Personal privacy is up for grabs. But not at UUP. When such issues do surface, UUP's elected policymakers have opted to protect the privacy of the membership. We're in ongoing conversations with the state to limit SUNY's intrusive powers but, internally, we are also committed to protecting your personal privacy. For instance, vendors frequently offer to purchase UUP's membership list so they can sell you things. But your privacy is not for sale. UUP values openness and democratic participation, but we value your individual privacy just as much.