FOUR FOR FRIDAY - THE PRIVACY EDITION Q1 - Lost Data: Do you think that a company--regardless of its size or scope--should be fined or penalized for losing its employees' or customers' financial data? I'm a forgiving soul- so no... Q2 - Searching For Data: Do you think search engines like Ask's, Google's, and Yahoo's be required to give the U.S. Department of Justice data on users' searches? Absolutely not. Q3 - Shredding Data: Do you use a shredder either at home or work? I use one at both. Q4 - Sharing Your Data: When you turn to a professional tax preparer to complete your state or federal income tax filings, you trust that person or the company they work for with your most guarded and personal financial information. But what if the tax preparer or the company they work for was allowed to sell your information to data miners and telemarketers, as well as to sister firms associated with the tax preparation company. It could happen if a new IRS proposal is approved. According to an IRS statement, the heart of the proposed regulation focuses on "...the right of taxpayers to control their own tax return information." In other words, in order for a tax preparer to sell your information, you would first have to give your consent. The IRS says that's a good thing because it empowers taxpayers, while critics like the ACLU fear that unscrupulous preparers could dupe some of us. How do you feel about this? Should tax preparers be allowed to sell our personal information, and/or should the IRS even make this an option in the first place? Don't sell my personal infromation, I will get pissed off. But I don't allow anyone else to do my taxes either. I am smart enough to figure it out myself...