BT 2006 trials of Phorm

[Ian Batten]

On 06 Jun 08, at 1633, Roland Perry wrote:

> In article <8B7881D4-DD51-43E1-9E14-324EC7A2B789@batten.eu.org>, Ian  
> Batten <igb@batten.eu.org> writes
>> Why do you think bank  statements are uniquely or, at least,  
>> obviously invasive?  What  information  is on them that is likely  
>> to cause a problem?
>
> Income from second jobs that they might want to conceal from their  
> main employer or even the taxman; subscriptions to things they might  
> be mildly embarrassed about, and the cost (and existence) of a  
> surprise present/holiday they are planning for a partner.

First point: a lot of people have a fairly moralistic view that you  
don't have a right to privacy if you're `up to no good', and it's  
significant that a lot of the examples we quote are about precisely  
that.

And there's an assumption in a lot of examples that couples don't open  
each others' post: that varies between couples, but I only know one  
couple whose finances are not merely distinct but even vaguely private  
from each other.  We have separate finances plus a joint account, but  
my wife opens all the bills.

OK, as it happens we have our bank statements online and each have  
access to our own sole name plus the joint, because LTSB's on-line  
system conflates read-access to the statements with write-access to  
the money.  So my wife doesn't, these days, see my current account  
statements. But the action's on my credit cards, and those come on  
paper, and she opens them (with my consent).  I suspect that this is  
not an unusual situation.

ian