Surveillance 2: Nowhere to hide

Unless you live in a cabin and spend your day tapping out wordage on a manual typewriter, sooner or later you'll have to surrender details about your life.

When you apply for a driver's licence or a passport, you have to provide your full name, address, date of birth and birth place. Banks and mortgage companies want an intimate account of your finances before they'll lend you money. Hospitals store uncensored information about your physical and mental health.

If negative or unflattering information ends up in your file and somehow falls into the wrong hands, then the consequences can range from embarrassment to devastation. You can suffer financial damage, lose your job or medical insurance, or suddenly find yourself unable to rent or buy a home.

With all that data floating about, it's ridiculously easy for anyone to unearth confidential information about you.

Take me to the Surveillance 2 ZDNet News special.