Certainly I cannot be the only one who finds phone numbers, email addresses, and many other things quite inconsequential compared to name and address.
In particular, there could easily be a postal system implemented where the sender would not need the actual physical address of the receiver. The receiver could easily ask the postal service to generate an arbitrary key which could either be single use, or multiple use, in order to deliver, so that one could receive mail and packages without having to surrender information regarding one's place of residence to the sending party.
Recently, I was hand delivered something from my sports club at my address as an apology for COVID. All quite considerable but I'm not so comfortable with that apparently my physical address is known to arbitrary members of said club, and that I was required to give it in order to sign up, which is necessary with modern technology.
There is no theoretical need to surrender one's physical address to join a sports club in theory, but physical addresses are exchanged everywhere as though there be no problem with this. They are of course the easiest way to stalk and harm someone.
So much of what is considered private "PII" today was considered public information only a generation ago. When I was a kid (1970s):
- Names, addresses, and phone numbers were published by the phone company in a book and given to everyone.
- Hospital admissions/discharges were published in the local newspaper.
- Social Security Number was used for everything. Many people included it on their pre-printed checks. Engraving it on valuable personal posessions was encouraged, for help identifying them if they were stolen.
None of this was considered a real violation of privacy, or at least I never heard anyone really express any concerns about it. Unlisted phone numbers were a thing, but very few people had them and it cost extra to have one. Most people wanted to be in the phone book so others could contact them.
I guess the big thing that's changed is identity theft is now a thing. That's because it's become possible to "identify" yourself by providing enough information about yourself without actually being physically present. Also online harassment/doxxing. All of which is only a problem because everything and everyone is online now. That is the real problem, not the information itself. Of course there's no putting the genie back in the bottle.
> None of this was considered a real violation of privacy, or at least I never heard anyone really express any concerns about it. Unlisted phone numbers were a thing, but very few people had them and it cost extra to have one. Most people wanted to be in the phone book so others could contact them.
Yes, and I think it was wrong to do so.
I think it's ridiculous to be worried about websites tracking one's noncorporeal identity tied to an integer on the internet compared to that everyone in my sport's club can easily retrieve my physical place of residence.
In particular, there could easily be a postal system implemented where the sender would not need the actual physical address of the receiver. The receiver could easily ask the postal service to generate an arbitrary key which could either be single use, or multiple use, in order to deliver, so that one could receive mail and packages without having to surrender information regarding one's place of residence to the sending party.
Recently, I was hand delivered something from my sports club at my address as an apology for COVID. All quite considerable but I'm not so comfortable with that apparently my physical address is known to arbitrary members of said club, and that I was required to give it in order to sign up, which is necessary with modern technology.
There is no theoretical need to surrender one's physical address to join a sports club in theory, but physical addresses are exchanged everywhere as though there be no problem with this. They are of course the easiest way to stalk and harm someone.