The Electronic Identity
                                by
                          Robert Parson

                          E-Mail Privacy


     I think we all agree that if we use a Computer Bulletin 
Board, private messages may be read by other than the intended 
recipient.  Sometimes it's an error in that the E-Mail was 
mistakenly flagged as public.

     But there are times when your E-Mail is being purposely 
broken into.  And this is apparently happening more often than we 
would like to think.

     Macworld Magazine recently reported that more than 21 percent 
of 300 companies surveyed have cracked into employee's computers 
to read electronic communications communications and other files.  
If this figure reflects nationally, which it likely does, 20 
million of us are having our computers rifled.

     Supposedly, according to the article, this is being done to 
track productivity, theft, and corporate espionage.  Although 
these may be worthy goals they are not sufficient reason to raid 
desktops.  Many of these same people wouldn't even consider 
opening up an employee's desk drawer.  But put a monitor and a 
keyboard on that desk and all your work is open to scrutiny.

     This does not mean that a business should not be allowed to 
review harddrives on their premises if there is sufficient reason 
to believe there are illegal activities going on.  Although a 
business should not be required to seek a search warrant for their 
own machines, they should follow the same basic procedures of 
investigation law enforcement agencies do.  Arbitrary searches of 
computers and computer systems "Just in case" should not be 
permitted.

     Privacy laws concerning electronic communications and 
electronic storage are beginning to jell.  But we are a long way 
from reasonable solutions.  The Steve Jackson Games case which 
recently came to a conclusion, in favor of SJG, is going to help 
set standards.

     To briefly review, Steve Jackson Games was raided by the 
Secret Service for alleged software piracy.  The computer the BBS 
was running on was among the equipment confiscated.  Some users 
were awarded damages for apparent interception of private E-Mail
by Secret Service Agents.

     In addition, the F-B-I is trying to determine if federal 
privacy laws were violated when a whistleblower's computer records 
were searched.  Apparently an E-Mail message from a Resolution 
Trust Corporation official directed a technician to copy files in 
a desktop computer.  I don't have a clue as to how this E-Mail 
message got into the hands of the F-B-I.

     Keep in mind that I firmly believe in wide distribution of 
information.  Computers, modems and networks are on the leading 
edge of freedom of information.  BBSs are the closest thing to 
unregulated information distribution.  We need to preserve that 
freedom.  That includes freedom of privacy in communications and 
data.
_____

     A couple of months ago I noted that subscribers were leaping 
off one major national computer network because of a change in 
rate structure.  Now another, GEnie, has done the same and 
subscribers are leaving there as well.  Oddly, though, many are 
leaving to other services with roughly the same or in many cases 
higher rates than the new GEnie rates.

     As for me, I left GEnie as well.  I will not be joining 
another national service.  Instead, the average amount I spent on 
GEnie each month will be donated to BBSs in my area.  Now if I 
could just remember my local Fidonet node address...

     President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore are now 
available electronically, sort of.  You can E-Mail the president 
on America Online, Compuserve, GEnie, Internet, and MCI Mail.  
There may be more by the time you read this.  *HOWEVER* you need 
to include your street mailing address to receive a PAPER reply 
from the White House.  Hopefully, this will be solved soon.

     Several of the services also have forums, conferences, 
roundtables, whatever in which to discuss, debate, argue, fight 
about Administration Policies. 


                                  copyright (c) 1993 Robert Parson