[Shaun]

Was watching a BBC Three documentary (perhaps not the height of informed insight I admit, but still...) last night about the rapidly increasing industry of data 'mining', where companies monitor what we buy (via credit card receipts / clubcards, etc.) and then sell this information on to retailers so they can notice market trends and other stuff, in order to target you with deals you might opt for.

However, the more sinister side of this is that through the same process fraudsters, the Government and Police can also monitor your activities and there's the threat of identity theft and the police being able to check council tax/insurance etc. bills you haven't based and prosecute you more easily.

So the question I pose for this debate is; are we too free with our data, and do you feel safe?

With increases in social networking, online ordering and credit cards, this provides businesses with a lot of information to target you slightly more personally with advertisements (such as pop-ups on your computer).

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Edit - I also happen to be reading a crime novel at the moment (called 'The Broken Window' by Jeffrey Deaver, I think), where the premise is a serial killer/rapist is using such 'data mining' techniques to find out what people buy and use (such as shaving gel, shoes (for footprints), snacks (for food traces) and then uses this information to frame innocent people for his crimes. I doubt the chances of this actually happening are actually likely, but it's something interesting to consider.