Anonymity a thing of the past

Privacy doesn’t mean anonymity. Think about that for a bit – and get used to it.

Or if you don’t like it, get a plan. But it had better be a good one.

On Oct. 23, Donald Kerr, deputy director of the Office of National Intelligence, outlined the new order of things: “Too often, privacy has been equated with anonymity; and it’s an idea that is deeply rooted in American culture.” Well, yes, the Bill of Rights, for instance, includes protections against “search,” as well as “seizure.” But that was then. As Kerr put it, “In our interconnected and wireless world, anonymity – or the appearance of anonymity – is quickly becoming a thing of the past.”

Kerr’s speech got little notice until The Drudge Report highlighted an Associated Press write-up. No doubt, of course, the Office of National Intelligence will soon issue a soothing statement assuring us that the government indeed respects your privacy and your anonymity. And we’ve all heard that line before: “Nothing to see here folks, just move along.” Then Uncle Sam will resume perfecting his warrantless surveillance.

In fact, the old equation – privacy equals anonymity – is being buzz-sawed six ways.

First and most obviously, terrorism concerns. If you’re walking through Times Square carrying a backpack and acting strangely, inquiring minds will want to know why. And Godspeed to cops brave enough to tap that shoulder.

Second, and closely related, the proliferation of cameras and webcams. Nobody likes to be spied on, but many people – including parents keeping tabs on baby sitters – like to spy. In the coming face-off, the spies have it.

Third, health insurance. We have decided, collectively, to be generous with each other in terms of “human services.” But although most Americans are happy to operate a welfare state for Americans, they draw the line at subsidizing the world. So as a matter of administrative necessity, the Nurse State will have to know exactly who you are – and your legal status.

Fourth, the reality that medical treatment now depends on medical information. If doctors are to help you, they need to know your medical history – not just blood type and allergies, but everything about you, including your genetic background. Such monitoring is fraught with controversy – recent headline in the New York Times: “In DNA Era, New Worries About Prejudice” – but this is the era of the instant Q-Tip identity test.

Fifth, Google and the basic nature of the Information Age. Once upon a time, people cared about bushels of wheat. Then it was tons of pig iron. Now it’s bits and bytes. If you ever wondered why the Googlers can give you search engines – and Gmail, and everything else – for free, it’s not because they are necessarily nice guys. In fact, they’ve built a $200 billion company by studying you closely.

And the database beat goes on: On Monday, Network World reported that IBM is buying Cognos for $5 billion. Never heard of Cognos? Well, that’s OK; the worldwide “business intelligence software vendor” based in Canada most likely has heard of you.

Sixth, the realization that the planet is getting smaller. If we can agree that pollution is a serious concern, it follows that ore-smelting in China, or deforestation in Brazil, is a threat to everyone everywhere. Down the road of those concerns lies a massive global government, which will want to know if you’re smoking too many cigarettes.

So what to do? Go off the grid? Become a hermit? That’s one way, although, the eye in the sky, of course, will always be looking down from its orbit. But surely there are other ways to escape – virtual reality, digging deep underground, traveling to space. People are going to try them all, and a huge privacy-protection industry is destined to emerge.

But then, of course, everyone else will be curious as to what’s being hidden, and why.