This image was lost some time after publication.

It's no surprise that we leave digital fingerprints everywhere. Social networks are just part of the problem. Every time we submit information electronically, whether it's a Social Security number, address, or medical history, we're opening ourselves to identity theft. Computer scientist Latanya Sweeney, a privacy specialist, says that today's developers simply have no interest in using technologies that would protect personal information. To solve this pending crisis — just wait until Spock gets out of beta! — engineers need to be trained to "design and build technologies in the right kind of way from the beginning." Here's why that's never going to happen.

Sweeney wants to work with developers to fill the security holes in their Swiss cheese-like software. Do you hear that, Mark Zuckerberg? Oh, and she even recommends they create privacy technology departments that would, you know, proactively tackle user concerns. Ha! Good one. The problem is that, like pollution, the loss of privacy costs companies nothing. We need economic incentives, not hectoring guilt trips, to make companies pay attention. One big class-action lawsuit would get Facebook's attention fast. (Photo by Mo Riza)