Quote:
Originally Posted by TheNorm
Nice analogy, but wouldn't it be more accurate if you replaced "letter" with "postcard"? And it wouldn't be the postman having a look, but the sorting office. I'm not sure that any laws would then be broken.
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Your analogy does not hold water IMO. A postcard is in open sight for anybody who handles or sees it to read. The writer of a postcard knows that obvious fact when they choose that method of communication and by choice opts for zero privacy. Anybody who seals communication within an envelope or packet has the expectancy, under law, that any unlawful or unjustified breach of privacy will be punished under the various laws covering snooping.
The question remaining is whether you wish your on-line activities to be considered to be as a postcard or private closed packets. If its in plain view (postcard) then if the range of the proposed imposition of spying had better stay within the realms of ad serving. If it is ever expanded as an online crime fighting tool then we had all better hope that the fuss and furore over modem cloning is rubbish and that we all make sure that our wireless connections (routers) are never compromised (thousands are already). I would never mind being held answerable for my own activity but no way would want to be held responsible for something I knew nothing about let alone the source.