New Yorker hotel's new anti-privacy policy
Dan Gillmor reports on the new "security" measures that prevail at the Ramada New Yorker hotel -- an historic old pile that is owned by the Moonies and was Nicola Tesla's home in his twilight years -- that hosted this year's Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference.The New Yorker (along with many other NYC hotels) has instituted a new policy that requires all guests to allow their credits cards and drivers' licenses to be photocopied and placed on file, seemingly indefinitely. As Dan points out, this is a recipe for identity theft, and in no meaningful way can be said to increase security.
I stay at a lot of hotels, and I've started asking, at reservation-time, what the ID requirements are for check-in, and asking the manager to explain the reasoning for them: what is the threat posed by failure to photocopy photo ID that is addressed by taking a copy? I don't know that it does any good, but I think it's important to ask people who want to take away some of your privacy to explain their reasoning -- what's the threat and how does this fix it?
Even more important is to know how the hotel proposes to keep your personal information safe and secure -- because there is a real, demonstrable threat to privacy that arises when copies of your identification are left with strangers. Link Discuss
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Cory Doctorow
Upcoming appearances
* Feb 9, 2012, DeKalb, IL: Day of Doctorow, NIU
* Feb 10-12, 2012, Chicago, IL: Capricon 32
* Feb 13, 2012, Arlington, TX: UT Arlington College of Engineering Distinguished Speaker Series
* Feb 16, 2012, Victoria, BC: 13th Annual Privacy and Security Conference
Recent books:
* Context (essays)
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* For the Win (YA novel)
* Makers (adult novel)
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