1. The Broadcast Flag - Certain media companies want to implement copy protection for digital broadcast television and are seeking a law to do so. The law would compel companies making recording technologies to adopt a content protection language/technology/standard/whatever they're calling it this week. This is, of course, an attempt to stop pirating by assuming that all consumers are thieves; by stalling technological innovation and the reallocation of broadcast spectrum assets; and on some level, to invade our privacy by controlling what we can do with our computers and recording devices. I think the thing that really makes me angry, though, is that rather than embrace the technology and find creative solutions to piracy and copyright issues, these companies would rather spend millions of dollars fighting it.
2. The Military Keeping Databases of Children for Recruitment Purposes - according to this site, a section of the No Child Left Behind bill requires high schools to turn over student information to military recruiters. This isn't new actually, as quite a few of my friends in high school (in the 80s mind you) got calls from recruiters. And this isn't to say that serving in the military is wrong. What is wrong is not keeping parents well-informed about how their children's personal information is being used.
3. RFID Tags - These chips receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from special transmitters. Currently, they are being used to track inventory in stores, but other applications are being developed - for example, Michelin is embedding the tags in their tires to track them for possible problems. The State of California had considered even using them in their driver's license ID cards. So what's the big deal? Unlike UPC, the RFID tags are unique identifiers. With the right equipment, the tags can be read from a distance, allowing someone to stalk, spy or (in the case of RFID-equipped ID cards) even steal the identity of a person carrying an item with a RFID tag in it.
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