DIMINISHING RIGHT OF PRIVACY - THE PERSONAL DOSSIER AND THE COMPUTER (FROM LAW IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY, 1973)

• NCJ Number: 25834
• Author(s): V COUNTYMAN
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 35 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Texas Press
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS THAT A 'LEGITIMATE NEED' TEST BE IMPLEMENTED FOR ALL COMPUTERIZED DOSSIERS TO CLEAR ALL PERSONAL FILES WHICH DO NOT SERVE A VITAL PUBLIC PURPOSE'.

Abstract

THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE COMPILATION OF PRIVATELY COMPILED DOSSIERS ON INDIVIDUALS BY COMMERCIAL AGENCIES, PUNITIVE COMPILERS (PRIVATE COMPILERS WHO ASSEMBLE DOSSIERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PUNISHING THOSE WITH WHOM THEY DISAGREE), AND GROUP COMPILERS PRIVATE COMPILERS INTERESTED IN OBTAINING GROUP INFORMATION. A DISCUSSION OF PUBLICLY COMPILED DOSSIERS CONSIDERS THE GOVERNMENTS POWER TO OBTAIN INFORMATION THROUGH WIRETAPPING AND ELECTRONIC BUGGING AND BRIEFLY EXAMINES THE EXTENT AND AMOUNT OF INFORMATION COMPILED BY VARIOUS GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENT-RELATED AGENCIES, BOTH EXISTING AND PROPOSED LAWS FOR INSURING THE ACCURACY OF, RESTRICTING ACCESS TO, AND LIMITING THE CONTENTS OF COMPUTERIZED DOSSIERS ARE ALSO OUTLINED.