On the Cover

November / December 2004

Photo illustration by Kathy Rice and Valerie Williams

Advances in information technology have increased personal data compilation capabilities and privacy concerns. Today in this country, there is no broad right to control or limit personal information collected by others. As a result, more than ever, personal information on individuals is reaching the public domain.

The quandary is how to keep the control of a person's private information in the hands of that individual, says National Research Council committee member and University of Maine Professor Harlan Onsrud. Onsrud explores issues related to personal information security in the story "I Spy."