Now, more than ever before, knowledge is power. The information society puts such a premium on sorting the wheat from the chaff, that relevant facts -- real knowledge -- are invaluable. There is a less recognized corollary of that truism: Data represent profit. Virtual mountains of data are accumulating every day, identifying wants, needs and preferences. They pinpoint demographic profiles and can even pin us down in time and space. This marketing manager's delight is a privacy advocate's nightmare. Measures are needed to protect an individual's rights to his or her data profile.
The information economy is smeared with footprints and fingerprints. Every electronic transaction leaves a residue. Internet browsers have "cookies" that record a user's comings and goings across cyberspace. Those files can be tapped by the computers running home pages on the Net. Last month, Intel Corp. revealed that its new Pentium III microprocessor emits a Processor Identification Number, a unique serial number, that allows other people to track a computer's travels across the Internet. Earlier this month, Microsoft Corp. admitted that its latest version of the Windows software generates a 32-digit number that is planted within electronic documents and can be used to trace the identity of the creators.
The ability to track an individual's movements is not restricted to the online world. A British company recently announced that it has developed technology to permit the location of mobile phone users within a few meters. Electronic payment systems for smart highways similarly allow travelers to be traced or followed. A report to the European Union last year highlighted the dangers created by the marriage of closed-circuit TV cameras, high-speed computers and photo databases. At journey choke points -- immigration counters at airports and ports, or highway toll booths -- it is now possible to identify travelers in real time.