Subj: Online Privacy: Perspectives of Privacy Right
From: Paul Sholtz, Chief Technology Officer, PrivacyRight Inc., c/o Amy Hanson, 
703- 299-9470
To: Internet Caucus Advisory Committee

SHOULD ALL TYPES OF DATA BE TREATED EQUALLY?

The way any individual piece of data should be treated depends on (a) who is 
using it and (b) how it is being used. For example, if my salary were being used 
by (a) a newspaper to (b) publicly publish how much money I make, I would 
consider this to be a violation of my privacy. On the other hand, if my salary 
were being used by (a) an external accounting company to (b) calculate the 
average income at my company, I would be OK with that. In fact, I would be 
OK with a newspaper publishing the average income of my company. My salary 
alone is personally identifying, and should be treated as sensitive information. 
My salary, in aggregate with all the other employees at my company, is far less 
sensitive. So the sensitivity of any individual piece of information will vary 
depending on (a) who is using it and (b) how it is being used.