[sudo-discuss] NymRights

[Anon195714]

It seems to me that the issues around "freedom of name" come down to:
 
a) The right of persons to choose their own names as they see fit,
including using different names for different purposes. 

The right to choose "the noun of your own identity" is the core
expression of the principle that you are a free person. 

b) The ability of the justice system to catch and prosecute people who
abuse that freedom as a means of harming others.

"The right to keep and bear names" resembles the issues over firearms
and cryptography (including steganography). 

But there's another issue afoot, which is:

c) Using Big Data as a means of maximizing profit by prediction and
control of individuals' behavior. 

If someone's goal is to milk you for all you're worth, the more they
know about you, the better they can milk you at work, and milk you in
your free time.  This issue can easily hide behind (b), since "unique
identifiers" in databases are convergent with "attribution" in
intelligence & law enforcement. 

But why stop at the internet?  Someone could go to the corner store, buy
a candy bar anonymously with cash, inject poison into the candy bar, and
slip it back onto another store's shelf to be bought by an unsuspecting
victim.  A handful of people could do that across the country and cause
multiple casualties and panic, just as happened with the poisoned
Tylenol in 1982. 

So why not require official photo ID for every single purchase?  For a
while, various corporate interests have been chirping about the
"convenience" of "going cash-less" for example by using smartphones as
universal payment cards.  (It's not tyranny, it's "convenience"!)

In a month or so you won't be able to cross the Golden Gate Bridge
anonymously by paying cash: you'll need a "Fast Track" or a credit card,
or your license plate will be photographed and a bill for the toll sent
to your vehicle registration address.  This is just begging for a lawsuit. 

The way to launch that lawsuit is to stop at the CalTrans office at the
bridge, where they expect you to provide a credit card in lieu of using
Fast Track, and insist on doing it for cash, anonymously.  When the
transaction is refused, ask to speak with a supervisor and get it in
writing.  Then let them know, politely and with good cheer, that
CalTrans can expect to be served with a lawsuit.  It might be most
effective to do this with a media reporter on hand, ideally taking video
of the whole thing ("if you get to take video, we get to take video").

A few other items:

= Re. Burning Man: for a while they've been going more corporate behind
the scenes, so it would not surprise me if they were falling for the
seduction of Big Data.  And let's not forget the possible influence of
computer geeks on their staff, looking for projects that will keep them
happily employed, and conveniently jumping on the "privacy is obsolete"
bandwagon to justify it.

= "What's wrong with having to get a warrant from a judge?" is a
powerful rhetorical point.  There is exactly nothing about new
technologies, to invalidate the principle that law enforcement's need to
use surveillance must be subject to the check and balance of the
judicial branch. 

= "Legal names" are for legal documents, not for everyday life.  Buying
candy and posting online are not equivalent to signing a contract or
swearing out a deposition or making a will.  You don't expect your
sweetheart to call you by your legal name in bed. 

= Ultimately we won the crypto debate in the 1980s because the power of
business was allied with the power of civil liberties: crypto
facilitates online transactions. 
 
= We may be able to harness the power of commerce here as well:  some
evidence is beginning to accumulate that people become more reserved
about making online purchases, if they know that their buying habits are
being collected and scrutinized by Big Data. 

= "Buy anonymous, pay cash" has the potential to gain strength if it
gets traction in business.  Local currencies are important.  "Gift
cards" and other anonymous pre-paid cards are important.  Getting local
business onboard for this is important.  CTel will have prepaid accounts
for mesh voice/data service, with freedom of name.  There is a huge
opportunity for someone to start a business that intermediates online
transactions to support freedom of name.  About which more in my next
email...

-G.


=====



On 13-03-14-Thu 3:33 PM, aestetix wrote:
> Oh hai!
>
> NymRights is dedicated to making sure people can use the names they
> choose on the Internet. This saturday at 2pm we're having a meeting at
> sudo room. Among things we'll be discussing:
>
> How the Phoenix IDESG plenary went
> The NymRights "suggested policy" for names on websites
> Reception of my Shmoocon talk
> General name-related nuttery
>
> It is open to all, please come if this is something that interests
> you! http://www.nymrights.org for more info!
>
> Cheers,
> aestetix
> _______________________________________________
> sudo-discuss mailing list
> sudo-discuss at lists.sudoroom.org
> http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>


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