RE: Privacy and the Google settlement (long, sorry)

[Linda Hopkins <lin.hopkins@hotmail.com>]

As a former ABA member of the National Information Infrastructure 
Board (remember that?), I have seen much change in how our 
government "values" citizen privacy since the mid-90's. 
Especially since the onset of the Bush administration, the 
government  business community have fused their interests in 
obtaining individual citizens' personal information.  And there 
is little if any restraint shown by either the government or 
private industry over how they obtain the information or how it 
is used by themselves or others.

The American Association of Librarians advocated strongly and 
successfully in the 90's against the encroachment on personal 
liberties. Has this changed?  Is everything in our country now 
simply a commodity including our privacy,. our civil rights, and 
our libraries?  I am impressed by Mr. Buschman's argument that 
even though Google is offering a searchable database, it does not 
have to be installed in libraries at the expense of readers' 
privacy rights and library integrity.

Linda K. Hopkins, Attorney at Law,
Intelliware Int'l Law Firm
Roseville MN