News Bites: Should political donations be public record? EightMaps.com controversy.
In California, most gays and lesbians got wind of EightMaps.com when a link made its viral way around the Internet about a month ago. The web site is a mashup of Google maps and public information available about supporters who donated so Prop 8 would pass.
It made me feel a bit queasy when I actually tried it out. The reason wasn’t because it revealed a lot of markers in conservative Newport Beach (no surprises there!), but rather that I could actually see the contributor’s name, approximate location, amount donated and his/her employer (if one was listed at the time of donation) and it’s only a matter of time until someone turns the tables and creates a map of donors that gave to defeat the proposition (um, that would be me).
Thanks to disclosure laws that haven’t stayed current with advances in technology ‘¦ there’s plenty of public data for mining and mashing as the creators of EightMaps have demonstrated. Herein lies the controversy as noted by this article in yesterday’s New York Times:
That is why the soundtrack to eightmaps.com is a loud gnashing of teeth among civil libertarians, privacy advocates and people supporting open government. The site pits their cherished values against each other: political transparency and untarnished democracy versus privacy and freedom of speech.
‘œWhen I see those maps, it does leave me with a bit of a sick feeling in my stomach,’ said Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, which has advocated for open democracy. ‘œThis is not really the intention of voter disclosure laws. But that’s the thing about technology. You don’t really know where it is going to take you.’
Ms. Alexander and many Internet activists have good reason to be queasy. California’s Political Reform Act of 1974, and laws like it across the country, sought to cast disinfecting sunlight on the political process by requiring contributions of more than $100 to be made public.
Eightmaps takes that data, formerly of interest mainly to social scientists, pollsters and journalists, and publishes it in a way not foreseen when the open-government laws were passed. As a result, donors are exposed to a wide audience and, in some cases, to harassment or worse.
In this case, it doesn’t shed a positive light on the wide audience’¦ since we can assume that some in our community are the ones doing the harassing:
A college professor from the University of California, San Francisco, wrote a $100 check in support of Proposition 8 in August, because he said he supported civil unions for gay couples but did not want to change the traditional definition of marriage. He has received many confrontational e-mail messages, some anonymous, since eightmaps listed his donation and employer. One signed message blasted him for supporting the measure and was copied to a dozen of his colleagues and supervisors at the university, he said.
‘œI thought what the eightmaps creators did with the information was actually sort of neat,’ the professor said, who asked that his name not be used to avoid becoming more of a target. ‘œBut people who use that site to send out intimidating or harassing messages cross the line.’
So here’s the big money question: In the future, will you think twice about giving money to campaigns and participating this way in the political process because of where your personal information might end up. If so, then thank the creators of the EightMaps.com, who remain, ahem anonymous.
Image credit: New York Times.
“since we can assume that some in our community are the ones doing the harassing”
And why would you assume that? There’s no evidence to support your assertion. You seem to think that the Prop 8 supporters are somehow above lying in an effort to make the evil homos look bad and gain sympathy and win the media war.
How naive you are.
As for being too timid to stand up and be counted in the future because your name might be made public … well, I’m just glad that other queers are willing to fight for your rights even if you aren’t.
I have no sympathy for those hate mongers who worked hard to take away my rights and are now playing victim. They know that their hate is wrong, which is why they want to remain hidden in the same way that the Klan hides behind sheets. Hate always wants to hide. The best thing we can do is shine a bright light into the dark corners and expose the evil that these people are.
I think it should be public info as far as going to the country recorder or the elections office. But putting that info on Google maps is way too Big Brother for me.
My home address is posted on-line at Huffington Post b/c I donated to a presidential candidate. A guy who is somewhat stalking me sent me an e-mail showing me that he found my new address thru that website. As a woman who lives alone, I’ve always only listed my phone number by first initial to limit access to my home address. So, regardless of who donated to what, I am pretty opposed to posting this kind of personal information on-line. Even when it is folks who donated in support of something awful like Prop 8.
I’m rather Libertarian in my views.
Political Contributions are Public Record…as is the Political Party you belong to..Thank You Very Much!!!
If you’re not willing to stand behind what you’re contributing to don’t contribute…especially to something as emotionally charged as Gay Marriage Equality.
That said harrassing someone for their stance is WRONG…Boycotting a business or having nothing to do with someone because you don’t like their opinions is not.
The harm it might do to them is from their own actions…not from yours.
As for Eightmaps.com…great idea but if anyone is worried don’t be…with $100 and just an email address I could get just about anything you want to know about someone from Data Mining companies already on the internet…and yes its legal..when the States found out they could sell the information it became instant Public Record.
Bucky: I don’t think I’m naive. Unfortunately, I think “hate” is alive and well on both sides of the fence. So yes, I think there are some from our community doing the harassing in this case.
Serena: Yes, the mashup definitely has a big brother feel to it.
Anon: You’re why the privacy advocates are all up in arms about this… good luck. I’m sorry to hear about your experience.
Roland: When I gave and provide my name, address and employer… well, you kinda figure that it will be listed or posted somewhere. I have issue with how the data can be manipulated to promote intimidation. It seems the disclosure laws haven’t kept up with technology.