The Woman Who's Making Your Privacy Her Business

davecb writes "The woman who faced down Facebook and was dissed by Silicon Valley business boys as 'an old-fashioned scold' is really one of the early advocates for using the internet for access to information, and to open up government. The Globe and Mail has an interview with Jennifer Stoddart, the privacy commissioner of Canada, who went up against Facebook for all of us, and made them back down."

I'm starting to hate the internet

[Ozlanthos]

I'm starting to hate the internet. More and more it seems like the internet is turning into one big bug in the ass. I have to specifically opt out of fucking invasive bullshit toolbars that I didn't ask for, had no interest in, and no desire to have corrupting my machine. I got an idea for all you assholes who think that is the way to make money....HOWS ABOUT YOU WORK ON PROJECTS THAT MAKE US FREER RATHER THAN FURTHER CONFINE OR TRACK US??? Is it really so much to ask to be able to scan, upload, download, chat, skype, mud, "be on the web" without fear of being constantly surveiled? I'm not a tree. My psychological profile, shopping habits, surfing habits, political interests, are not "fruit" to be picked and sold on the market, and as such ARE NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!!! If I want your shit, I will use the most powerful investigatory tool humankind has ever invented, find it myself, and possibly even buy it! If what you had to offer was worth having I might even buy it again. But, until that point, LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!

-Oz

Re:Idealist

[twidarkling]

Except she doesn't want the government to have the power, she wants the people to have the power, since the government is supposed to receive power from the people. And this is Canada, we go for security through co-operation and support, rather than intimidation and manipulation.

security through co-operation and support

[RichMan]

rather than intimidation and manipulation.

But how do the big multinational arms conglomerates make money off co-operation? Where are the backscatter-xray machine sales in that?

Re:For all of us?

[Anonymous Coward]

If you don't use Facebook, why do you need to block it's widgets? ::confused::

For the same reason you block Doubleclick and Google Analytics traffic, even though these sites don't (necessarily) know your real-world name either.

Re:For all of us?

[codegen]

You first have to pass some privacy laws with teeth before someone like Ms. Stoddart can do her job.