Date: 4/13/08
age range: 30-39
demographics: 1M (30-35), 3F (30-39) – all Caucasian
confidentiality workers – financial information, lawyer, donor information, system administrator

What is important to you personally about privacy?
Identify theft – making sure to shred documents and store items properlyProfessionally – sensitive information about funding and IP, copyright or classified info for government
For job, must file declaration of every personal affiliation (nonprofit, church, etc. – not related to work) – why do they get to know you do in free time if it doesn’t involve money?

General conversation about Google chat, docs, and email
one person said “they are spying” – a few people emailed each other different phrases to see how ads change
If people from work forward work email through Google, then Google can see all kinds of sensitive information – same as with using the Google Desktop Search program

“Big Brother, government, and positions” – people have access to credit information, recently bought a house and then received lots of offers from companies saying things like “so you just bought a house”

One person was prospect researcher for 4 years and was amazed at how much personal information you can find about people on the internet for free – her boss would ask her to look up medical appointments that she had old access to on her machine, but she refused

Scary that companies have more access to your credit report than you do

What information about yourself are you comfortable in giving out?
Don’t give phone numbers when asked in stores – some give fax numbers, others make them up , one person will give out phone number, but it’s a cell phone

If it’s legit, not concerned – buying a house, bank transactions – but how is that information handled by 2nd or 3rd parties?

Online dating – give out almost no information – but would give out email (no last name attached to address)

Brief discussion of how some people give out a lot business cards but this result in being harassed at work then

Selective about where giving out info – especially when buying information online

One person blogs about personal things, but not too personal - 2 other people spoke about started blogs, but then realized they didn’t want people to know things, so they deleted them

Important to the group to make self not searchable on social networking websites (one person had an ex-boyfriend stalk her, so she’s very careful) - “the youngins get caught in that”

What do you think of when I ask you about confidentiality?
Medical records, library records, databases at work where you have to click through confidentially screen to get to information

“Any information that can give light into the life I lead”

trusting that the library isn’t going to tell the FBI what you’ve read in the past 3 months

one person is happy the library has a self-checkout so others can’t see what she’s reading

What influences in our society are changing how we think about privacy?
“George Bush!” (received a big laugh) – the government

Easy credit commercials on TV make people think that the companies will take care of them, but you have to give them lots of information

No good public dialog about privacy – think that most people are either really paranoid or willing to tell everything

Store member or discount cards – if there isn’t a discount, why have one? What is the company tracking about you? Someone said it would be nice to get a report from the grocery store of what you buy based on discount cards

What types of information could hurt a person if made public?
Political activities, medical history, religious affiliation, trends in what you read

What information about others do you feel you need to know?
As little as possible

one person used to do a background check on people she was going to date – check criminal records, traffic tickets, etc.

Look up information about people you’re going to date, but then not sure about how much to say you already know – shouldn’t be able to find these things, but we can

What decisions have you made about your privacy? Do you take any actions to protect your privacy?
Shred everything! – anything with name and personal information

More careful with financial information – such as ATM receipts, credit card receipts – anything with signature

Make sure places won’t sell name – such as ordering a magazine, donating money to a non-profit

A number of people lie when websites ask for information to register

What trade-offs or compromises would you be willing to make with your privacy?
One person has no problem with people knowing his politics because the person ran for office, if you Google, you can tell where this person stands on certain issues – other person said it would be a violation of privacy if you didn’t disclose that information but someone else found it anyway and used it against you

Need a separation of work and private life – if hiring someone, you want to make sure they exhibit good judgment (drunk pictures on Facebook do not prove this)

Sex offender database – is it taking to an extreme? Does it affect privacy?
-some people said it made them feel uncomfortable and perhaps it’s different if you have kids or not