How has computer technology affected privacy in public places?

Computer Technology has affected privacy in many sectors, not only in public places. There's something deeply disturbing about how technology has affected privacy; while some activities online might be legal, many people don't like the idea that such things can be done. Computer users and that includes almost all of us are becoming very concerned about protecting their electronic privacy. Certainly there is an increased sense of awareness and activism on this subject today, and many controversial proposals for the use of information have been subject to open debate.

To explain what I mean, let's take a look at several examples of the use or abuse of information today:

• At most schools and universities, the Fair Educational Recording and Practices Act prohibits making public any student's academic record without his/her explicit permission. Yet every school publishes its honor roll or Dean's List of high academic achievement in the newspaper.
  
• Most credit records and financial information are protected by a "private" bit of information, usually one's mother's maiden name. However, with the growing interest in genealogy, and the existence of over 17,000 Web sites relating to ancestry on the Internet, it is becoming increasingly easy to find a person's family tree.
  
• Almost anyone who has ever had a credit card or ordered something from a catalog has probably had their name and address sold as part of a mailing list to other card issuers, direct marketers, charities, and so on. While it is possible to have yourself removed from those mailing lists, it's a somewhat strenous process, and it's difficult to choose whom you wish to continue to hear from without the whole process starting over again.
  
• We like to think that our personal conversations are private, but many employers (including mine) explicitly state that they reserve the right to monitor all telephone calls, e-mail, and World-Wide Web browsing! After all, they supply the equipment for business purposes and have the obligation to ensure that it is used for those purposes. Furthermore, many employers are worried about security or liability with regard to electronic communications originating from their equipment, and so feel they need some control over what is "said" using these media.

There have been some attempts made to deal with these problems by law, but legal response to concerns about privacy is always going to be reactive rather than proactive. This is not necessarily bad, since laws should only be enacted after careful and reasoned study of the problem, and not in quick response to half-formed fears or misconceptions about the quantity and kinds of information available.