Privacy of Information

I have recently been going through a Google Purge. I have been removing the connection between my blog and my person, but not vice versa. That is, if you are my friend IRL, you can read my blog, but if you read my blog, you probably wont be able to figure out who I am IRL. Thats the theory anyway. I’ve had a few slip ups, but now if you google my name, or my old name, my blog isn’t a result.

This is in keeping with a new desire to not have incriminating information about me easily found by people that don’t know more than my name (prospective employers for example). Its also because I don’t want people finding out who I am easily using only a google search.

One thing that I have never put on the internet is my phone number. Its there in my facebook account, but they have fairly decent security, and I wanted it there for my friends. Its actually more restricted access there, than if it was in the White Pages.

Now, its well known that I am a queer rights activist. Its not something I hide. I am involved in the CCU, and will probably get involved with Good Process and/or Gender Agenda soonish. All of those organisations have excellent reputations, and so I can be proud to count myself a member of them, if I choose to join.

During a routine google search of my name on Tuesday evening I noticed an odd listing… it was 3rd… right after my Facebook ‘This profile is restricted!’ result, and my employers directory listing for me.

Its said (and I can’t screen shot it cos it shows too much of my personal information)

CANBERRA SEEKS INDITEMENT OF HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVIST
Sapphire Rose {her real phone number!!!} No Email [CAAH Activist] Ryan {mylastname} {my real phone number!!!} {someone elses email} [CAAH Activist]

I clicked through and found one of the CCU press releases in a CAAH archive of press releases. I emailed the address listed next to my name and told them that I wanted it removed immediately.
I have a few issues with this:
1. My phone number is not for wide publication. Including it as a contact in a press release does not constitute consent to have it published. That would be like a newspaper publishing my phone number without consulting me first. Its understood that ‘more info’ contacts are for the media to contact, not to include in publication.
2. I am not a CAAH activist. I don’t want to be associated with CAAH, because they have been called ‘The Queer wing of the DSP’, the DSP being a shady socialist organisation that I despise.
3. The CCU is not an ACT branch of CAAH. Our press releases shouldn’t be published in an archive of CAAH’s materials.
4. What the fuck is up with that title? I don’t even know what it MEANS. I suppose that they don’t mean INDITEMENT, but probably INDICTMENT. Even so, as far as I know there’s no indictment of homosexual activists going on here in Canberra, and certainly it has nothing to do with the press release we sent out.

Now, if it had simply been taken down, I would have just posted a little rant, and gotten over it. I may have not even bothered posting a rant, I don’t exactly have a shortage of things to rant about at the moment. (Like the bank freezing my accounts on Monday. That was fun fun fun.)

However, my name and phone number stayed up there for two days. Its still there as I type this. In spite of me contacting them for its removal *the same day* that they posted it, they told me that they had no access to their website, and couldn’t take it down. I asked them to contact their ISP, and have the ISP take it down. They refused, saying that it would take too long before the ISP would act.
I eventually had to threaten to call the ISP myself, and have their entire site taken down, before they emailed me back saying it would be down by the end of the day.

Ha, I just got an email from them saying that its down. I went and Googled myself again, and its just the URL has changed. I click on the link they emailed me to prove its down, and it gives a 404 error.
I Google my name, and click the link, and its still there, at a different URL.

The moral of this story is… if you publish someones personal information, there is always a way to get it down, you might just have to you know, make the effort. Don’t expect them to roll over and let it be up there indefinitely while you fart arse around.

And now for a disclaimer: I am a member of the CCU, I am not THE CCU. I have personal issues with CAAH, and the DSP and the overlap in DSP and CAAH membership. I think that socialists are a pain in the arse, and hold back social change movements. These are all my personal opinions. If I wanted to damage the relationship between CAAH and the CCU I would have sent this rant to the CCU email list, not published it on my personal blog.
SO if you feel the need to say I am being ‘divisive’ and holding back the movement, and reminding me that CAAH and the CCU are working for the same goal, please STFU.