For better than 25 years, I’ve worked as a privacy consultant, both to individuals and corporations. You’ve heard of many of my clients, though not of me. Which is as it should be. Here, I’ll be talking at length about my work, but will not utter a word concerning the identity of my clients or the specifics of what I’ve done for them. Which is as it must be.
Given the intense interest in personal privacy following the Snowden and Wikileaks Vault 7 revelations, I wrote a book, “Anonymous You”, detailing privacy strategies for every aspect of life: personal identity, banking, maintaining a residence, working, using a personal computer and accessing the Internet with a high degree of anonymously.
But during the final edit, I had a change of heart. The problem with disseminating this kind of information in book form? (1) Does anybody read actual books anymore? (2) Books are forever—personal privacy strategies are not. Rather, they’re a movable feast: opportunities wide-open today might forever be closed tomorrow due to changes in the law or technology. Most importantly, by disseminating this information via blog, readers can give their feedback and share their experiences. So what have you tried? How did it work? What might you have done differently? A leasing agent might respond to a post concerning bullshitting your way in an apartment complex by saying, “That would never fly where I work. But here’s what might….” Thus, we all learn, and the State of the Anonymity Art evolves.
The fatal flaw in nearly every privacy book (apart from the aforementioned shelf-life issue) is a tendency to be long on philosophy, but short on specifics. Sure, you know why you should be banking anonymously, but how, specifically, do you actually do it? My mission: serve up the main course first. Like most authors toiling in these fields, I’m chock-full of theories and observations regarding personal privacy and the current lack thereof. Over the course of this blog, all will be covered—but parenthetically. As a bit of garnish to the hard-core, hands-on information you came for. Anxious to read 2000 more words regarding the dangers and insidiousness of the Patriot Act or the NDAA? Didn’t think so…
Most of my strategies are perfectly legal—others not so much. Apply them—or don’t—based on your own needs, morality, and level of risk-aversion. Open a shell corporation using some made-up name? I’d consider this a harmless act of civil disobedience. You (or the Feds) might feel otherwise.
And even if you’re a person who says, “I have nothing to hide, this doesn’t apply to my life”, I’m glad you’ve found me! At the very least, the topic is interesting, and it never hurts to keep your eyes and mind open.
Because nobody ever has anything to hide.
Until they do…
