Saga of Shredding in U.S.

Review and Reaction to the Article:
“The Saga of Shredding in the U.S.: A Privacy Advocate’s Perspective” (Givens)

This article is a record of a presentation given at a conference of the National Association for Information Destruction in San Diego, California in May of 2004 (Givens). In her presentation, Givens offers an abbreviated history of identity theft crimes. In the early 1990s, identity theft was in its infancy. In fact, it was not even identified as identity theft per se. Crimes involving theft of personal information from data banks began to occur. Simple theft of personal information from trash containers became popular. Since that time, in the single year of 2003, 10 million individuals reported some form of identity theft. Identity theft is now divided into two types: a stolen credit is used for pay and purchase or stolen identity is used in application fraud.

The California Document Destruction Law began as a media story about the wealth of personal information to be found in trash dumpsters. In fact, Givens gives credit to the awareness of identity theft and the need for consumer protection to the media. A California legislator viewed a television video clip and subsequently introduced legislation to protect consumers against careless handling of sensitive information.

Problems with paper shedding were discussed in the light of improper shedding and the distribution of shredded paper. When paper is misloaded into shredders, the information may yet be readable. Only cross-cut shredders are recommended. Some discussion was made as to the shedding industry which has grown up around the need for privacy.

Givens encourages companies to adopt strict privacy and disposal practices for sensitive information and to screen employees. Dishonest employees account for a large part of information theft. Workplaces should create a “culture of confidentiality.”

The article was very informative, particularly as I reviewed the strictness of the California law to which she referred. The enormity of identity theft is overwhelming. In regard to media efforts, similar efforts have occurred in several cities across the U.S. where media has exposed careless information disposal. Givens adds that computer hardware, CDs, magnetic tape and microfiche are important to destroy. I add recycled personal telephones to the list.

I appreciate this article. I wondered as I read it if honesty and good will are a casualties of the digital age. Has “access” limited the ability of society to trust anyone any more?


Work Cited

Givens, Beth. “The Saga of Shredding in the U.S.: A Privacy Advocate’s
Perspective.” Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. 21 May 2004.
14 Nov. 2008. <http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/NAID.htm.>
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