Chris Jenkinson wrote:
Ray Saintonge wrote:
As much as I support the need and importance of
protecting personal
privacy, I think that this request is totally unrealistic. People
will respect that privacy because it's the right thing to do, and not
because of some legal document.
Those who want to reveal that information will do it without regard
to a legal document. If they do what do you propose doing about it?
Are you prepared to go halfway around the world to start some dubious
lawsuit? Such a document will only produce an illusion of safety.
Privacy laws are quite strong in the European Union and divulging of
personally-identifiable information related to European Union
citizens, whether or not the organisation is based in the EU or not,
is a criminal offence. An IP address may count as
personally-identifiable information.
No piece of paper is going to change that.
The Wikimedia Foundation has chapters based in the EU
and has plans to
create more. Organisations can be penalised for failure to comply with
EU privacy standards. If the WF has a contract with people who have
access to this functionality, if it ever does occur the WF will be
devoid of responsibility. Yes, it's a remote probability. But that
doesn't mean that it should not be insured against. It is not worth it
to the Wikimedia Foundation if the case ever arises.
This is only about protecting Wikimedia in the case of a law suit; it
still is not a deterrent to inc=dividuals who have no qualms about
breaching privacy.
Ec