WARNING: Do NOT try this at home, kids!!!

Government Website Takes Over Your Computer Forever

Text of the Privacy Act & Security Statement at cars.gov:

“This application provides access to the DoT CARS system. When logged on to the CARS system, your computer is considered a Federal computer system and is the property of the U.S. Government. Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized CARS, Dot, and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of other agencies, both domestic and foreign.”

[Thanks to Patrick Wiebe]

UPDATE: For those of you who have written to me to inform me that it is the car dealers—and not the customers—who have to use this government website, I say, “What difference does it make?” The point is that whatever PRIVATE CITIZEN is using the government website now has his or her information on the computer owned by the government.