Letter RE: "Technology outpaces Privacy (Yet Again)" -- NY TIMES

Ms. Singer suggests that we are again witnessing the continual conflict between technology and privacy protections. Ms. Singer is wrong. Things have changed, drastically. Rather than have our privacy taken away from us by new technologies, we are now actively giving it away (albeit often due to the not-so-subtle coaxing of the new technology companies --like camera companies encouraging exhibitionism). We twitter or post our most banal experiences and thoughts, or provide websites with intimate financial details and genomic predispositions.
Perhaps we need to first reassess our shifting perceptions of privacy before we look to our slow moving legislatures and even slower to evolve laws.

Dov Greenbaum, JD MPhil PhD
Mark Gerstein, PhD

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Unpublished letter in response to
Natasha Singer's "Technology Outpaces Privacy (Yet Again)" (12/12/2010)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/business/12stream.html

Letter to the Editor RE: "Rare Hits and Heaps of Misses to Pay For" -- NY Times

Mr. Wade criticizes California for placing such a large bet on stem cell research at the potential expense of other research efforts. Government regulation and funding are, to some extent, tied to the public's understanding of science, including their misconceptions and/or misapprehensions. These errors in conventional wisdom are often fueled by instances of misrepresentation or unwarranted hyperbole in the news and entertainment media. The Science TImes however, and Wade in particular, more often than not reflect a more balanced science journalism. Rather than tout every preliminary result as a monumental breakthrough, as many of his colleagues might do, Mr. Wade has consistently tamped down the hype, particularly when reporting on stem cells. Perhaps with better communication between science and the media, and more journalists like Mr. Wade, we might have less egregious use of funds and better regulatory oversight of basic science research.

Dov Greenbaum JD PhD & Mark Gerstein, PhD

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Unpublished letter in response to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/science/09wade.html
"Rare Hits and Heaps of Misses to Pay For"
BY Nicholas Wade, November 9, 2010, New York Times

Letter Re "The Web Means the End of Forgetting" -- NY Times

In “The Web Means the End of Forgetting,” Jeffery Rosen focuses on the emerging realization that it is nearly impossible to erase the information that we post about ourselves on the Internet. While the article focused on the obvious concerns, bits of information put on the Internet that in hindsight we regret posting --that drunken party picture, the problem is even more serious when we consider how the internet allows even comparatively innocuous information to more seriously compromise our privacy.

Imagine, for example, collecting the times of blog posts to learn someone’s free time schedule, or triangulating the coordinates of geotaged locations in an online photo gallery to get a sense of where someone lives. Technological advances in aggregating and mining large amounts of data coupled with robust statistical correlations can render even relatively benign facts revealing and actually prove as problematic as that persistent drunken party picture.

Dov Greenbaum, JD MPhil PhD
Mark Gerstein, PhD

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Unpublished letter in response to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/magazine/25privacy-t2.html
Jeffrey Rosen's "The Web Means the End of Forgetting," NY Times 7/19/2010

Letter Re: Berekley DTC Genomics -- USA Today

UC Berkeley's distribution of genetic tests to incoming freshmen follows recent industry scrutiny by the FDA and Congress. The current media focus on Direct-to-consumer genetic testing will foster a robust dialogue at Berkeley. However, while the genes tested are thought to be relatively innocuous, the results anonymous, and the test intended to be partially educational --preparing students for a personal-genomic future -- we fear it may be anything but. It may lull students into a false sense of security, both in the absoluteness of the results relationship to their lifestyle and the risk-free sharing of those results with friends. Unlike the genes tested by Berkeley, most gene-disease relationships are complex and couched in terms of complicated statistical probabilities Further, many of the student's future genetic tests will involve serious and potentially upsetting personal medical and health information that will affect not only themselves but family members that share their genes.

Dov Greenbaum & Mark Gerstein

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Unpublished letter in response to various articles:
UC Berkeley plan to test freshmen DNA criticized, USA Today
(http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-05-21-berkeley-dna_N.htm)
and
SF Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/20/BAIS1DI09I.DTL

Letter RE: “Web Photos That Reveal Secrets, Like Where You Live" -- NY TIMES

In “Web Photos That Reveal Secrets, Like Where You Live” Kate Murphy focuses on the use of geotags –encoded geographical coordinates in pictures – to find hidden personal information. Geotags, represent only one of many privacy concerns rising out of the use of social networking websites. With the emerging realization that it is nearly impossible to erase information that we post about ourselves on the Internet, and with technological advances and robust statistical correlations for aggregating and mining large amounts of data, even comparatively innocuous facts or pictures can seriously compromise our privacy.

Dov Greenbaum, JD PhD & Mark Gerstein, PhD

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Unpublished letter in response to: 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/technology/personaltech/12basics.html

Web Photos That Reveal Secrets, Like Where You Live"

By Kate Murphy

Published: August 11, 2010

Letter Re "Genesis redux" -- Economist

Craig Venter's recent success in developing a synthetic bacterial cell
is a promising proof of concept for Synthetic Biology. Of particular
interest might be the ability to develop affordable and eco-friendly
biofuels that rely on waste biomass or novel enzymes, instead of the
current biofuel supply supported by government subsidies and relying
mostly on the inefficient use of food crops. Venter's watermarking
and attempt to patent the new cell however, may raise concerns as to
ownership of novel synthetic biology tools. In contrast to other
clean energy sources --where public domain technology suffices in
providing clean energy -- the necessary synthetic biology technology
for feasible biofuels will likely be, like Venter's cell, someone's
intellectual property.
Dov Greenbaum & Mark Gerstein

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Unpublished letter in response to:
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=16163006
Genesis redux, Economist, 20 May 2010

Letter Re "Supersizing Hits Freight World" -- WSJ

I read with great interest the recent article about the plan to use ever larger "green" trucks on highways. I was rather appalled by this proposal, as I think it will lead to even more inefficiencies and make driving on highways an even scarier experience than it already is. Just the other day I was trailed by a convoy of 18-wheelers that was overwhelmingly large and intimidating, and reminded me just how scary it is to share the road with imposing vehicles. If it is indeed inevitable that we are going to have larger and larger vehicles on the road, perhaps there should in turn be some concessions for motorists. I could imagine, for instance, a law mandating that truckers consistently drive at 50 mph and only in the right lane. This type of measure would likely save even more gas than the current proposal for ever larger trucks and lead to a win-win solution -- for everyone, that is, except, of course, a hard-charging truck driver.
Mark Gerstein
New Haven, CT

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Unpublished letter in response to:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704901104575423403671120166.html
Supersizing Hits Freight World
BY JENNIFER LEVITZ, WSJ, 15 Aug. 2010

Letter Re "The Pen That Never Forgets" -- NY Times

I read with great interest the recent article about the Livescribe pen. This is truly an innovative device; I doubt people could have anticipated it before its debut. Nevertheless, I see this as a transitional gadget. I anticipate that very shortly, practically at any moment, it will become trivially easy to discreetly record a full-length video of a class lecture or a business meeting and sync it with notes. Having video in addition to audio will, of course, not only make it much easier to follow what the instructor is writing on the blackboard or the client in a meeting, but will also help interpret subtleties in gestures, facial expressions, and statements. While I think this is in principle a good thing, we have to reflect soon on how seemingly trivial note-taking recordings will change the character of our classrooms and boardrooms. Perhaps people will be a little more reticent to put forth ideas when they know that everything they say is being filmed by a number of people. Perhaps this will be the impetus to change the culture of sharing that we see so much of now on the Internet when people realize that everything they say is being recorded in an almost Orwellian fashion.

Mark Gerstein

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Unpublished letter in response to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19Livescribe-t.html
The Pen That Never Forgets
By CLIVE THOMPSON
Published: September 16, 2010