This story on Slashdot Can You Sue Over Loss of Personal Information? is exactly the reason I never apply for a credit card or a prize or anything in a public place. This is also why my wife and I have a crosscut shredder and never throw anything out with our name on it --even if it's not filled out. I'm not worried about the NSA. I'm worried about some sleazy spammer or credit card company that will sell my valuable data to the highest bidder. To protect you personal data from those that want to fill your inbox with penis enlargement ads, always try to:

1. Avoid giving your information to anyone for any unneeded reason.
2. Never give more personal information than is needed. If the box is marked optional on the form, leave it blank.
3. Never give out your Social Security number to anyone unless it is absolutely necessary. Also, don't carry your SS card in your wallet or purse. Keep it in a safe place.
4. Don't sign up for anything you don't want or need so that you can get a "free" prize or gift. That prize is worth so little compared to your privacy and peace of mind.
5. NEVER buy anything from telemarketers (even if they say they are a charity) or spammers EVER!
6. Shread everything that has ANY personal information on it; preferably in a crosscut shreader. Once you are done using it or archiving it, get rid of it. This includes; old bills, bank statements, credit card offers, junkmail offers for things like insurance, old receipts, deposit slips and even old grocery lists.
7. Have a seperate "hotmail" address for those websites that require an email address.
8. If you start getting a lot of spam for no apparant reason, change your email address to something a bit harder to guess. It's a lot easier to send random emails to jsmith@aol.com than say j0hnsm1th@aol.com.
9. Install personal firewall software and preferably a hardware firewall between you and the Internet.
10. Keep your antivirus software up to date.