Privacy

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution specifically protects:  "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

A woman I recently met was calling anyone  using Facebook an idiot, because "your data is open for abuse and examination."  We choose to share information on Facebook, I  replied.  What about banks, landlords and others with access to financial transaction data (because they pay for it)?   What about data, in your medical record, that hackers are sharing with the global criminal community?

Granted, hackers are criminals.  But are your health organizations really doing, what they should, to protect against (or quickly detect) a hack?  Likely not...

Banks and other organizations with access to your financial records are not criminal.  Yet they have unfettered access to your financial records and accounts, in the name of understanding your creditworthiness and making robust financial decisions.

[from Wikipedia] Article XIV of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights [stated even before the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution, that]: Every subject has a right to be secure from all unreasonable searches, and seizures of his person, his houses, his papers, and all his possessions. All warrants, therefore, are contrary to this right, if the cause or foundation of them be not previously supported by oath or affirmation; and if the order in the warrant to a civil officer, to make search in suspected places, or to arrest one or more suspected persons, or to seize their property, be not accompanied with a special designation of the persons or objects of search, arrest, or seizure: and no warrant ought to be issued but in cases, and with the formalities, prescribed by the laws.

In the internet age, we need to enact laws to protect citizens from probing commercial and government entities, and punish these abuses with civil and perhaps criminal penalties....