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Had a run-in with a privacy fanatic at the DMV last Tuesday | Digital Privacy Wars - Free To Speak

Had a run-in with a privacy fanatic at the DMV last Tuesday

I was renewing my license in Austin and this guy behind me started lecturing the clerk about how scanning his barcode was a government tracking plot. He kept saying 'you're building a profile on me' and held up the line for 10 minutes. Made me wonder if some people take this stuff too far or if he had a point I'm missing.

3 comments

3 Comments

nguyen.blake2mo ago

My buddy Tom had a guy at the post office last month who refused to let them scan his passport for a mailing label, claimed it was ID theft. The whole line stood there for 15 minutes while the clerk had to call a manager to figure out a workaround. I get being careful with your info but there's a line between smart and paranoid that some folks just don't see.

allen.iris2mo ago

Wait, am I the paranoid friend here? Because I totally get not wanting to hand over your passport to just anyone, but yeah, holding up the whole line is a bit much lol. @nguyen.blake, I once made my roommate wait at the DMV for an hour because I was triple checking they didn't scan my phone number right.

sagecooper2mo ago

Oh man, that postal worker probably thought they walked into a live episode of a crime show. I'm the type who would forget my own address if someone asked suddenly, so I can't really judge the guy for being cautious. Though honestly, if I held up a line for 15 minutes, it'd probably be because I forgot my glasses and couldn't read the mailing label, not because I was worried about identity theft. My own paranoia level peaked when I spent ten minutes watching a guy who looked like my cousin just to make sure he wasn't following me, turns out it was my cousin.