Stumbled across this some time ago, but didn't have time to post it. There are some really serious civil-liberties and privacy implications to this case ... which so far hasn't seen the light of day. Relevant URL: http://www.cyberzine.org/html/GLAIDS/Bark/barkbackpage.html -H -- ** Heavily Trimmed Excerpts from alt.politics.datahighway: From: •••@••.••• (NY Transfer News Collective) Newsgroups: alt.activism,alt.discrimination,alt.privacy,soc.rights.human,alt.politics.media,alt.politics.datahighway Subject: Privacy too high a price for Credit Card services Date: 11 Jan 1996 02:23:14 GMT Organization: Blythe Systems Lines: 205 More on the credit-card services trials of CyberQueer Lounge. We think this is a serious threat to system security and user privacy, internet-wide. We are appalled that a company would ask ANY ISP for access to their system, without paying for an account, as part of the price for having them perform credit card services. Worse -- this demand was made AFTER the credit services application was signed, and none of their alleged "decency" concerns are listed in their literature or in their contract. <...> We HOPE that the ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and other organizations involved with freedom of access take this bizarre demand from a financial services outfit very seriously indeed. If it turns out that they have given services to other systems, without this demand, then Mr. Hicks has one hell of a discrimination case. If the company makes such demands of only those systems with sexual or political information, then they are engaging in biased behavior and should be challenged legally. If they make this absurd demand of ALL online systems, they are engaging in pure stupidity and should be educated. They should not, it seems to us, be permitted to enforce this idiotic demand. They should not be permitted a free account to read any system's information without applying for an account, like anyone else, and paying for it. <...> X-within-URL:http://www.cyberzine.org/html/GLAIDS/Bark/barkbackpage.html THE CYBERQUEER LOUNGE Presented January 8, 1996. Updates will continue. "Go ahead laugh, it up. Convince yourself this is NO big deal." "They will only do this to the Queers. I'm safe, right???" On January 5, 1996 a merchant credit card application representative informed The CyberQueer Lounge the premises needed to be searched for unacceptable materials. <...> The QLounge had applied for merchant credit card status December 1995. The Lounge maintains certain areas that are locked from the public. Areas are protected by password to encourage visitors interested in using all the areas to join and donate money to the Lounge maintenance costs. Members of the lounge have access to locked areas with a login name and password. The Lounge was informed on the 5th of January it was required to provide a password and login to the merchant credit card company representatives and allow them to view the entire contents of the system. The request for a login and password to the entire site was at first denied. The credit representative stated the application would be denied and the Lounge would lose the $110 application fee if the credit company(s) were not allowed to enter all areas of this system. The Lounge was also informed that if there was ANY information that was found on the system that the credit people found unacceptable the application would be denied. The CyberQueer Lounge representative Tom Hicks had signed a lengthy "standardized" merchant credit application in December. There was no mention at that time the credit card companys restricted what information would be allowed or not allowed to be in the Lounge if accepted for merchant credit status. There was no list of what the credit card companys would allow to be displayed in the Lounge before the signing of the contract, after, or to this date. The CyberQueer Lounge can not find any records waiving its right to private property, free speech or right to assemble. If you find such a contract please send it to •••@••.••• @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~-~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~ For subscription info, archived postings/documents, and other useful material, visit the CPSR Cyber-Rights Web Page at: http://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/nii/cyber-rights/ The CPSR Cyber-Rights Library is available via FTP and WWW: http://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/nii/cyber-rights/Library/ ftp://ftp.cpsr.org/cpsr/nii/cyber-rights/Library/ You are encouraged to forward and cross-post list traffic, pursuant to any contained copyright & redistribution restrictions. ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~-~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~
