Book Review

O'Harrow, R., Jr. (2006). No Place To Hide. New York: Free Press. 352 pages, ISBN: 0-7432-8705-3 (paper), US$26

Reviewed by Gary C. Kessler
Champlain College
Burlington, VT 05401
gary.kessler@champlain.edu
 

(first two paragraphs of review)

Personal privacy and the protection of personal identifying information are of concern to all of us. Innumerable articles and conferences address our loss of privacy, either through the sale of consumer databases or our own inattention. Opinions vary from "You have no privacy; get over it" to "This is the end of civil liberties as we know them." We teach people to safely maneuver on the Internet and minimize their exposure to bogus sites set up to steal their identity, warn users about the dangers of phishing and posting personal information on social network sites, use firewalls to protect our databases, and enact laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to protect information.

But what are the data custodians doing with the information in their possession? And what about the companies that are mining the vast stores of raw data that are just waiting to be converted to knowledge? Exploring this topic is the raison d'être of this book, written by a financial reporter for the Washington Post. This book -- and the accompanying Web site at http://www.noplacetohide.net/ -- is an essential read for anyone interested in knowing about commercial organizations and governmental agencies that collect information about all of us, and what they are do with this information, regardless of your opinion about this activity.
 

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