w88中文专业四级阅读理解模拟题57(含答案)
the simple act of surrendering a telephone number to a store clerk may not seem harmful—so much so that many consumers do it with no questions asked. yet that one action can set in motion a cascade of silent events, as that data point is acquired, analyzed, categorized, stored and sold over and over again. future attacks on your privacy may come from anywhere, from anyone with money to purchase that phone number you surrendered. if you doubt the multiplier effect, consider your e-mail inbox. if it's loaded with spam, it's undoubtedly because at some point in time you unknowingly surrendered your e-mall to the wrong web site.
do you think your telephone number or address is handled differently? a cottage industry of small companies with names you've probably never heard of—like acxiom or merlin—buy and sell your personal information the way other commodities like corn or cattle futures are bartered. you may think your cell phone is unlisted, but if you've ever ordered a pizza, it might not be. merlin is one of many commercial data brokers that advertises sale of unlisted phone numbers compiled from various sources—including pizza delivery companies. these unintended, unpredictable consequences that flow from simple actions make privacy issues difficult to grasp, and grapple with.