That changes what a public record is. What they have become are tools for fishing expeditions where government and industry can re-sort and sift that data looking for any criteria they want. It's scary to a lot of people. What scares privacy advocates is an Orwellian vision of video cameras on every street corner, tracking devices in every PC, and databases connected to every cash register. The FBI believes they should have access to everything.
Inefficiencies protect our liberties.
In the wired world, Big Brother isn't just a faceless government bureaucrat. There's also big business to worry about. And today, corporate Big Brother doesn't necessarily wear a three-piece suit and carry a briefcase. He may come in the guise of your corner grocer. A computer engineer, Biggerstaff has created database systems for both the public and private sectors.