November 13, 2007 (LPAC)--In a speech to an intelligence conference, the number-two National Intelligence official in the U.S. used MySpace and Facebook as examples of how it is no longer possible to remain anonymous today, as it was in the past.

Dr. Donald Kerr, the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, speaking in San Antonio, Texas on Oct. 23, on the subject of security and privacy, said that, traditionally, privacy was equated with anonymity, which "is quickly becoming a thing of the past."

"Anonymity results from a lack of identifying features," Kerr said. "Nowadays, when so much correlated data is collected and available--and I'm just talking about profiles on MySpace, Facebook, YouTube here--the set of identifiable features has grown beyond where most of us can comprehend. Protecting anonymity isn't a fight than can be won," Kerr went on to say, emphasizing that instead, we should be focussing "on how we can protect essential privacy in this interconnected environment."

"I think people here, at least people close to my age, recognize that those two generations younger than we are, have a very different idea of what is essential privacy, what they would wish to protect about their lives and affairs. And so, it is not for us to inflict one-size-fits-all."