The Hilltop Observer

That first page listed my recent purchases, just in case I had forgotten. It noted items - be it books or CDs or electronics - that I had shown some interest in by reading about them, and it displayed the items for me, in case, on second thought, I wanted to purchase. That’s nice of Amazon, isn’t it?

The website keeps track of any and all addresses I may have used in my decade of dealings. When I purchase something, it politely asks: “Would you like us to ship this item to you at your home address in New York, or to your sister, or parents, or your brother on the west coast, or your friend Cathleen in New Jersey? Finally, it asks which of half a dozen credit cards I’d like to pay with, even as it gently reminds me three of them are expired.

All of this is by way of saying that Amazon, and many other websites, keeps track of customers. If you’ve visited once, you’re a stranger, just passing through. After that, they ask you to join, to register, and that’s when the tracking starts. Amazon dot com knows Matt, my interests, preferences, what I window-shop for, and what I do indeed purchase. They know where I bank and which credit cards I use.

Most of us understand this marketing process, and in general have no problem with it. We know that it is done to better serve consumers, to make shopping easier, and even safer. The great majority of consumers either approve or simply acknowledge that that is how it’s done. Finally, it’s about trust, and we implicitly trust our Internet.

So it’s odd to me when I see how little we trust our Government in parallel situations. News about the FBI listening in on telephone conversations or about the CIA opening computer email is often greeted with a reaction that, to my way of thinking, is irrational. I have literally heard it said “My God, next thing you know, they’ll be entering our homes in the middle of the night and dragging us away.”

“Do mean the folks at Amazon dot com?” I might add mockingly.

“No - those Neanderthal Republican Fascists in our Government!”

Let’s be real: the FBI, or CIA, or any governmental body, doesn’t go around randomly listening in on citizen phone calls. They have no need, or interest, in doing that. Rather, if an individual has already aroused some suspicion – either by who he or she is, who their friends are, what their job is, where they call and how often, etc, then they may be subject to scrutiny. My take on this is simple: If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. To illustrate my point, let’s listen in on two imaginary telephone conversations:

“Hi Steve, this is Matt. I got my CD from Amazon, listening to it now. I like it, it’s different. I checked out a DVD burner too, but I’m not buying it yet, we’ll see. By the way, what are you doing later, maybe we can meet up for happy hour.”

Now this conversation:

“Hi Akmed, this is Omar. . .it looks good for July. . .all the items have arrived, bought and paid for. . .let’s meet Tuesday. . .bring that How-To book you downloaded from the Internet!” So which conversation is worth the time and effort it would take for authorities to listen in on? Okay, I’m being tongue and cheek, but it is still a question of trust: do you trust your Government, or do you trust Internet businesses? Do you trust both, or neither?

I think when critics condemn our Country’s efforts to keep us safe, they are telling us more about themselves, then about legitimate privacy concerns.

Matt Cutugno is a freelance writer and award-winning playwright. He lives in New York City.