[aboringusername]

At this point in 2020 there must have been over 1000 data breaches, often times containing (and reaffairming) the same data such as a person's address (and in data breaches, we can track that same persons data across time, which can be useful).

You can't have a globally connected society, data storage in the billions of records, and a 'right to privacy' at the same time. It's not possible, these breaches just reaffirm that.

How long before the next data leak pops up on HN again?

Privacy died after 2001, and there's nothing to prove otherwise.

Am I wrong?

[qchris]

"Someone did something unethical, and we can probably benefit from it.

And since people will probably do the unethical thing again, and the system which enabled people to do the unethical thing isn't perfect, we don't even really need to worry about whether using that to our benefit is unethical.

In fact, it's been years since we really needed to worry about that sort of thing anyway.

Isn't it just easier to ignore our personal responsibility to try to do the right thing in this situation?"

[b112]

I think this was mentioned elsewhere, but this is different from many other cases.

In this case, you cannot choose to opt out, not if you wish to drive. Further, this isn't just ID, but a whole range of info around that ID.

As example, by law in my jurisdiction, I am legally obliged to keep medical info, address, and other info up to date for my license.

I believe breaches of government ID must be held to a far higher standard than a lost credit card. IMO equifax goes into that slot, for it falls into the "cannot escape" category.

As an example, I have never used airbnb, due to their mandatory ID requirements, regardless of their claims uploaded ID is deleted after vetting. After all, Equifax's compromise went on for almost a year, and in such a case each upload, waiting to be vetted, could be copied before deletion.

So I use alternative services, like VRBO, or Craigslist even. I have choice, options, and am not compelled by law to use any of these services.

As soon as I am compelled, by the threat of violence (arrest, etc) to do a thing, you'd better perform the utmost in due diligence.

And maybe, not give entire databases to others, for profit?