Found on Twitter No. 9: Petraeus case illustrates threats to your privacy

I used to be a tech journalist and, if today’s News Cut posts tell me anything, I guess I’m still pretty interested in tech-related stories. All day I’ve been getting my news just from Twitter links and sharing what I’m reading. The latest:

Petraeus Case Raises Fears About Privacy in Digital Era – New York Times.

Excerpt:

The F.B.I. investigation that toppled the director of the C.I.A. and now threatens to tarnish the reputation of the top American commander in Afghanistan underscores a danger that civil libertarians have long warned about: that in policing the Web for crime, espionage and sabotage, government investigators will unavoidably invade the private lives of Americans.

On the Internet, and especially in e-mail, text messages, social network postings and online photos, the work lives and personal lives of Americans are inextricably mixed. Private, sensitive messages are stored for years on computer servers, available to be discovered by investigators who may be looking into completely unrelated matters.

Bob Collins is off this week.