Erasing David

Passionate Eye (CBC)

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Did you watch Erasing David on CBC’s Passionate Eye this evening? What did you think? Do you have any database state stories of your own? Do tell…

4 Comments »

  1. OK…so I saw the show promo and decided that this was a must see…..I was VERY disappointed….I mean really who was this program aimed at 60 yr old technophobes. How many times have we been told to shed documents prior to disposing them? How many times have we been told not to open emails from people we do not know/trust? And yet this filmmaker decided to open one from people HE KNEW were trying to find him. I’m really really PO’d because indeed this is a VERY important subject and instead of a real effort in hiding from those trying to track him the filmmaker made this fluff. Not at all what I expect from Channel 4 or the CBC/Passionate Eye.

    Comment by Martin — January 18, 2010 @ 6:07 am

  2. hi. i watched the film last night on cbc. fascinating. can you remind me what the type of request was that david sent to all the agencies/entities to obtain copies of all the information they had on him?

    Comment by tracy — January 18, 2010 @ 6:07 pm

  3. Thanks for your comment Martin. Wow you really hated our film! Cool! To be honest, my mum is a big fan of the film and she is a 60 year old technophobe, so maybe you have a point. I really didn’t mean to be ‘telling you’ anything in the film – but if all you took away from it is not to open email from people you don’t trust, then maybe you know too much already. We screened it to a packed cinema in London last night and had everyone up in arms about the issue and asking loads of questions about the trade-off between privacy and security. No one mentioned the ‘fluff’ you mentioned, and remember that’s not how they caught me. The most they could have gained from tracking the location of my blackberry was where I was at a specific time. To catch someone, you need to know where they’ll be in the future – because you have to get there! It was the profiling and analysis of me they did that meant they could have a good chance of actually getting me. Honestly, I appreciate you posting about it – and in the spirit of free speech, I’m happy to have your comments up here. Thanks for watching.

    Comment by David Bond — January 20, 2010 @ 11:53 am

  4. Sure Tracy and thanks very much for watching the film. I think you are talking about a Subject Access Request. Here’s some info about it in the UK. http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/data_protection/your_rights/how_to_access_information.aspx I’m not sure about the legal position in Canada but I believe that you guys are really well protected in law – although I also understand that you are, like us in the UK, beginning to suffer some erosions of personal protection, in the name of improving of security / getting tough on crime etc… Anyhow, there’s lots of information about your rights here http://www.priv.gc.ca/resource/ii_e.cfm Thanks so much for watching and best wishes. David

    Comment by David Bond — January 20, 2010 @ 11:58 am

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