] As more personal information is collected into databases,
] computers have been handed increasing power to make
] decisions about our everyday lives. The technological
] systems intend to solve costly and important business
] problems, but the proliferation of these so-called
] electronic blacklists has alarmed consumer and privacy
] advocacy groups who say many databases have incomplete,
] incorrect or misleading information.
]
] "Technology has made it cheap to do all kinds of
] surveillance and watch over people and make sure they
] obey the rules. But when a system makes a mistake, what
] can you do?" said Richard Smith, an Internet security and
] privacy consultant.

Databases used by companies to blacklist consumers