An inescapable fact of western society - it is intrusive. Particularily when driven by economic tenets. Enough is never enough, companies and workers alike all want more, more, more. Thus was born Madison Avenue, a street that has spread its tentacles all over the globe. Advertising is perhaps the most offensive, from an individual perspective, achivement of capitalism. Think about it - the constant bombardment of slogans encouraging one to purchase something that is really not necessary. Or is overpriced, to pay for the Madison Ave suits’ “contribution” to the product. Not only is advertising generally aimed at the lowest common denominator, presuming that people are simpletons, but the concept of veracity seems to be foreign for most admen.
Everywhere one goes in public one is faced by advertising. Billboards on the street. Buses carrying massive placards. Message boards beside highways. Radio advertising in stores, malls, elevators, other public places. Try and make a phone call to any large company, government office, chances are that the interminable hold period is “enhanced” by a radio broadcast.
We have learned to tolerate public intrusion. But what about private? It is a matter of choice at home, in one’s private space, whether or not one listens to the radio or watches what passes for programming on the idiot box. In that case, one has only oneself to blame. The same applies to choice of reading material. Acknowledging that magazines and newspapers need advertising revenue to survive - as do most other forms of profit driven media - is part of the ad-game. Fortunately, there is no noise pollution involved with reading; it is much easier to turn the page than to listen to a pitch for the latest in hair colouring or feminine hygiene products.
If the reader is not yet aware of Estonian-born Kalle Lasn and his Ad-busters magazine, we encourage picking up a copy of it (In a concession to capitalism Lasn’s mag is available at Chapters and most major newstands). Lasn argues convincingly that the vast majority of people are duped by admen, and that truth is not high on anyone’s list when composing copy. Advertising is a pernicious blight on society These examples all focus on things that the average individual can avoid, or ignore. However, what about intrusion in the only sanctuary that the average individual has - his home? I’ve always found it ironic how many people kneejerk when the phone rings. As if they forgot that they pay the phone bills, the phone is for their convenience, to call out, and it is their choice whether or not to answer calls. Screening through answering machines and voice mail, Call ID, is becoming more and more common, for telemarketers are a persistent bunch. Although organizations exist in Canada that permit telephone subscribers to have their name and number removed from adtelemarketers lists, this only applies to members of a certified telemarketers organization. And moronically, every two years one has to reapply to be put on the “does not wish to be disturbed” list. Another version of invasion is door-to-door canvassing and soliciting. Again, why answer the door, if you are not expecting anyone? Polite people call first.
Finally, direct mail advertising is perhaps the least intrusive, but still not free of the nuisance factor. The federal government some time ago decreed that it is illegal to sell, for instance, a magazine’s subscription list, without permission of the subscriber. A good step forward, but still not enough.
The government is at least listening, at times. On January 1, 2001 the Federal Government of Canada passed a privacy act governing any commercial activity that includes information that can identify an individual in any way. The act, up for review in 2006, stipulates that when personal information gathered by a company is used for commercial gain, the consent of the individual must be attained. The Federal act also outlines that each province must pass its own legislation by 2004. Ontario, for example, is in the process of finalizing its version, known as the Privacy of Personal Information ACT (PPIA). If passed the PPIA will be the country’s most aggresive privacy law, allowing a person to either opt in to information distribution, or opt out. Taking advantage of an individual’s privacy rights will be, according to the act, harshly penalized. Good for the Tory government that many see as draconian.
Unfortunately, good intentions here are not always applied. Major banks these days are demanding one’s SIN, Social Insurance Number as proof of identification when renewing credit cards. Excuse me, but the SIN number is intended only for communication between citizen and government, not private interests. Warning here - do not provide your SIN number to anyone other than the government, Nobody else has the legal right to ask for it.
This is part of the problem. With so many identifying codes, numbers and passwords these days, the average Joe is not aware of his legal rights.
Who has the time to read the fine print anyways? is a common response. One should, for Trouble with a capital T is brewing down the road. It has become increasingly easy in this electronic age to steal identies, credit card numbers, commit fraud on a large scale. As the accompanying article on Cybercrime points out, former citizens of the Soviet Union are world leaders in this field. (Why is this hardly surprising?)
The salient point here is that privacy is an endangered animal. At home a person should be allowed respite from the intrusion of the world. And any personal identifiers, such as one’s SIN, address, unlisted phone numbers should be protected by acts such as the PPIA, not only to prevent fraud and in-your-face marketing, but to maintain the fragile illusion, that we have individual rights, that we have a say in who knows what, that we have the right to live a life without interference, be it by government or private interests. Otherwise, the looming sceptre of a totalitarian info-driven all knowing State is not far away. Let’s not welcome soviet style knowledge banks.
Editorial: A man’s home is his castle
Arvamus
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