Canadian Privacy Czar Wants To Anonymize Court Records On the Web 340
An anonymous reader writes "The web is evil and must be stopped — because it makes public information too public. So says Canada's Privacy Commissioner. She wants to 'anonymize' court records by substituting initials for names.
The Toronto Star quotes Jennifer Stodddart as saying 'The open court rule, which is extremely historically important, has now become distorted by the effect of massive search engines... Court decisions and other related documents, which contain all sorts of personal information, are now searchable worldwide, which was never intended when openness rules were devised.'
All Stoddart's proposal would do is erect a minor barrier for the techno unsaavy. Researchers, reporters, geeks, and most teenagers would still be able to figure out who's who.
Stoddart seems to believe only in an abstract notion of freedom and access — but only as long as not too many people use it and no one suffers. She cites the case of someone who is upset at reading the divorce case of her parents.
Is Stoddart a danger or a menace? Or just clueless?"
And for the alphabet distributionally challenged? (Score:5, Funny)
She wants to 'anonymize' court records by substituting initials for names.
My name is Xavier Zachary Quincy. How does this help me?
Re:Look too hard, and you might not like what you (Score:5, Funny)
A little old lady called the police to her house, complaining that her neighbour stood in front of his window, completely naked, each morning. She took the police officer into her bathroom and pointed out her neighbour, who could be seen shaving through his bathroom window.
"See," she said, "he hasn't got any clothes on."
"He isn't wearing a shirt," replied the police officer, "but he's only visible from the chest up, so we can't know that he is totally naked."
"Yes you can," she said, "if you stand on the toilet and crane your neck like this..."
Re:Look too hard, and you might not like what you (Score:5, Funny)
(Phone rings)
-- Hello? Sherriff's office!
-- Yes, miss smedley. Yes, I went yesterday and told the boys who swam naked in the river near your house to go elsewhere.
-- Well, I passed by some time ago, and they moved downstream a quarter mile, so you can't see them anymore.
-- Well, of course, if you use binoculars, you can see them!!!
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Look too hard, and you might not like what you (Score:2, Funny)
Well, yes, of course that's what an Anonymous Coward would say.
Too Free (Score:2, Funny)
Yes.