The Inconvenient Truth... About Consumer Privacy

The last few weeks have seen a lot of press surrounding the issues of privacy and consumer safety. It's a relatively cyclical discussion that seems to be raised every two to three years, but its gaining steam now that the government is getting more involved. I'm not one to talk politics, nor am I one to sit and here and tell you that everything is acceptable in regards to Internet standards for consumer privacy, but I do want to put some of this discussion in perspective.

The last thing anyone should ever do is defend a policy by pointing fingers at someone else and saying, "but they're worse." However, in this case I think it's time to do a little finger-pointing. My wife was recently sharing with me some of the "fine print" on the automotive financing bill we get monthly. We own an American car, financed by an American car company, so you would assume their privacy policy is in line with simple standards for American consumer privacy. If that is the case, then some of these facts may be somewhat shocking. Here are a few of the highlights, taken word for word, from that recent bill...