Re: [apps-discuss] webfinger privacy question/suggestion

[Mikael Nordfeldth <[e-mail]>]

31.10.2012 10:17 skrev Stephen Farrell:
> Maybe we should try get a few folks who care about this into
> a huddle in ATL if some of those who're interested will be
> there? (If the Sunday reception worked then on Monday morning
> Paul might be able to say something more than "we have insane
> privacy nuts" :-)
>
> S.
>
> PS: Not wearing any hats and all that.

Except the tinfoil one? ;-)

Either way I think it is important to remember that what Webfinger is 
basically just standardise the way humans, machines and our future 
androids will lookup information about pseudonyms. It does not in any 
way _produce_ more information.

Whatever reason you have to worry about the "hidden lookups" (which 
initiated this thread) or personal data collection/correlation, are not 
new issues created by Webfinger. The only thing WF maybe does is make it 
more obvious that such things can - and perhaps even do - occur. The 
data is already out there, on zillions of forums, communities, mailing 
lists etc, where users "ooze" their personal data.

I see a great opportunity in that transparency, the fact that maybe 
internet users can


Also, Stephen and whomever else is concerned. If you (or "normal 
people" or "privacy nuts") do not trust the service or application you 
run to handle your (or others') privacy well, I heavily recommend you to 
stop using it. Or simply don't give out data that can be correlated with 
whatever you don't want it correlated with.

If one is concerned with privacy and the service or software won't let 
you switch off this "oozing", simply stop using it (or make sure you use 
it in a privacy-minded manner). If it, say, uses Webfinger you can 
yourself verify it doesn't reveal any inappropriate data - or just stop 
using the service.

And if a third party somehow aggregates information about you without 
your consent, it's definitely a privacy issue and even illegal in many 
jurisdictions. If that is the case, it should be acted upon through 
court of law. Not by modifying suggested internet protocol standards.

-- 
Mikael Nordfeldth
http://blog.mmn-o.se/
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