# Subpoena disclosures to protect privacy?

- Date: 2006-02-10T01:38:03Z


By Thomas Crampton

Yahoo has once again been accused by Reporters Sans Frontieres, the Paris-based press freedom watchdog group, of turning over information about a computer user in China.

Reporters Sans Frontieres said the user, Li Zhi, was sentenced to eight years in prison for "inciting subversion"  based on electronic records provided by Yahoo. Li, a 35-year-old ex-civil servant from Dazhou, used the e-mail address libertywg@yahoo.com.cn and user-name lizhi34100 to post comments in online discussion groups about corruption of local officials.

Yahoo declined to comment, according to CNET's report.

On a personal level this raises the privacy issue: How can I know the extent to which a company is protecting my private information? 

One solution: Encourage companies to disclose each time they have received a subpoena. This would not be perfect, but it would at least give an idea of the threats to privacy. Any other ideas?


Note: I may cross-post comments on the IHT blog and they may be reproduced in the paper for publication.