Privacy – in real life and on the net

The other day there was a post in the Warrior Forum (WF) about Google gathering too much data about “our life”: 15 things you didnt know that Google knows about YOU!

While we can agree that certain companies might know too much about our online habits… it reminded me of an old story, so I replied to the post above telling my story. It is a good one, so I decided to also share it with those that don’t read the forum. Here it goes:

After reading the OP the first thing that came to my mind was a thread started a while ago – reminding us there is a real world out there, don’t confuse WF and the IM with it

And if you think that going offline would protect your absolute privacy… think again.

Let me tell you a story. Will try to be brief but sometimes it’s difficult. OK, here it goes.

I spent about two decades of my adult life on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain in a Communist dictatorship. I wasn’t among the ‘good guys’ so a state security officer (a major) has been assigned to keep on eye on me. My phone was intercepted, my mail was opened, my friends were recruited to spy on me etc. It wasn’t fun. However, they could not follow you everywhere all the time – so, from time to time you could have a break.

Fast forward a few years. New life in Canada: real freedom, civic liberties, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, no more surveillance… actually, nobody really cares what you do.

So, one day I met an ex-sweetheart, still beautiful as she was 15 years earlier and we go on a romantic trip to Western Europe. Germany, Italy (Venice, of course), Switzerland – all the nice places. It was before the euro era, so each country had its own currency. I couldn’t keep up with all those different bills amd coins – so I started to pay everywhere with my only credit card. (Even today I still have only just that one CC.)

Next month when the statement came from my bank I could follow exactly where I was and what I did:
- entering the highway and paying the toll (entered X point; exited Y point)
- dinner in ABC restaurant
- slept in XYZ hotel
- bought gas at 123 gas station

Basically, my whole trip with every details was on that CC statement. Not my online surfing, like watching funny youtube videos… My real life!

I think my “comrade major” wold have been envious seeing how easy it was. It is still a mystery why those idiotic dictators didn’t let us to have credit cards

What do you think about this issue?