U.S. ranks near bottom in 2007 International Privacy Ranking

[antigop]

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=7549&tag=nl.e622

The Electronic Privacy Information Center and Privacy International just published its 1,000-page “Privacy and Human Rights Report,” which assesses the state of surveillance and privacy protection in 70 countries.

Following are the key findings from the report. Needless to say, privacy is eroding in most parts of the planet. The lowest ranking countries included Malaysia, Russia and China, while Greece, Romania and Canada had the highest rankings in this year’s report. The U.S. was graded poorly, as an “endemic surveillance society.”

* The 2007 rankings indicate an overall worsening of privacy protection across the world, reflecting an increase in surveillance and a declining performance of privacy safeguards.
* Concern over immigration and border control dominated the world agenda in 2007.
* Countries have moved swiftly to implement database, identity and fingerprinting systems, often without regard to the privacy implications for their own citizens.
* The 2007 rankings show an increasing trend amongst governments to archive data on the geographic, communications and financial records of all their citizens and residents. This trend leads to the conclusion that all citizens, regardless of legal status, are under suspicion.
* The privacy trends have been fueled by the emergence of a profitable surveillance industry dominated by global IT companies and the creation of numerous international treaties that frequently operate outside judicial or democratic processes.
....
# In terms of statutory protections and privacy enforcement, the US is the worst ranking country in the democratic world.
# In terms of overall privacy protection the United States has performed very poorly, being out-ranked by both India and the Philippines and falling into the “black” category, denoting endemic surveillance.

[villager]

1. Suppose those "individualist" rightwingers are fine with it, though?

n/t

[sakabatou]

2. "... and the home of the watched."

[antigop]

3. Orwell wasn't too far off the mark.... n/t

[bdamomma]

4. we the people must pose a threat to them if we are being watched.