There was a time when any personal information that was gathered about us was typed on a piece of paper and locked away in a file cabinet.It could remain there for years and, often forgotten, never reach the outside world.Things have done a complete about-face since then.Responsible for the change has been the astonishingly swift development in recent years of the computer.Today, any data that is collected about us in one place or another ― and for one reason or another ― can be stored in a computer bank.It can then be easily passed to other computer banks.They are owned by individuals and by private businesses and corporations, lending institutions, direct mailing and telemarketing firms,credit bureaus, credit card companies, and government agencies at the local, state, and federal level.A growing number of Americans are seeing the accumulation and distribution of computerized data as a frightening invasion of their privacy.Surveys show that the number of worried Americans has been steadily growing over the years as the computer becomes increasingly efficient, easier to operate, and less costly to purchase and maintain.In 1970, a national survey showed that 37 percent of the people questioned felt their privacy was being invaded.Seven years later, 47 percent expressed the same worry.A recent survey by a credit bureau revealed that the number of alarmed citizens had soared up to 76 percent.
