Chapter 2
Multiple-choice Questions (with answers and references to the text)
1. When a person visits a Web site, his or her IP address and the links he or she clicked on
are automatically recorded. This is an example of
(a) secondary use
(b) invisible information gathering
(c) data spillage
(d) data mining
2. The Privacy Act of 1974 established rules to regulate
(a) private sector databases only
(b) all databases that contain personal information
(c) all personal information, including surveillance data
(d) Federal government databases only
3. A cookie is
(a) a feature of a Web site designed to attract children
(b) an illegal use of information about a customer
(c) a file that a Web site stores on a visitor’s computer
(d) a small reward that can be redeemed on a Web site
4. If a business follows an “opt-in” policy for handling personal data, information about a
customer
(a) may not be released under any conditions
(b) may not be released unless the customer gives permission
(c) may be released unless the customer requests that the information be kept private
(d) may be released for any legitimate business purpose
5. The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) said that
(a) international electronic communications must be filtered through a single hub.
(b) agents of a foreign power may be wiretapped with authorization from a secret court
(c) telecommunications equipment must be designed to allow the interception of
telephone calls (with a court order)
(d) email should have the same degree of legal protection as telephone calls
True/False
______ In Olmsted v. United States (1928), the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the Fourth
Amendment to apply only to physical intrusion.
______ In Katz v. United States (1967), the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the government
needs a court order to intrude where a reasonable person has a reasonable expectation of privacy.
______ The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets (1968) explicitly allowed wiretapping and
______ The USA PATRIOT Act (2001) gives individuals more protection from governmental
intrusion.
______ In Kyllo v. United States (2001), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that when the government
uses a device that’s not in use by the general public to “see” things it could not without intrusion,
that is a “search” and requires a warrant.
______ U.S. v. Jones (2012) was the first major case of digital technology surveillance and
involved police attaching a GPS tracking device to a person’s vehicle without a search warrant.
Short-answer Questions
1. Two approaches to the problem of protecting personal information are (a) the
free market view and (b) the consumer protection view. How do these points of
view differ on the issue of a company disclosing personal information about its
customers? How do they differ on the issue of errors in the data about an
individual that is distributed by a credit bureau?
2. Briefly describe what an “opt-in” policy is and an “opt-out” policy is. Let’s say
you were filling out a survey for an online magazine. Give an example of what
you’d see that would distinguish an opt-in from an opt-out policy.
3. Consider the European Union and the United States. Which one of these cultures
has historically placed a higher value upon privacy? Explain.
4. Why did the United States try to restrict strong encryption? What effect did that
attempt at restriction have on U.S. businesses?
5. What are some “pros” and “cons” to having a national ID card that can access
all of one’s financial and medical information?
6. Would the Social Security Number be good to use as a naonal ID for U.S.
cizens? Why or why not?
Matching Questions
Essay Questions
1. Explain why the United States has historically placed less value than the
European Union on the right to privacy.
2. Describe three of the Fair Informaon Principles.