Progress doesn’t protect information

To the editor:

In today's world we all enjoy the vast network of speed. And yet, what have we lost along the way. There is the privacy of all things mailed by parcel post: letters, paying bills and taxes cannot be hacked or stolen.

The Internal Revenue Service says it's easy with the www.irs.gov to file your tax return. Easy? Yes. Fast? Yes. Safe? That is the question. In the past few weeks, one of the largest health insurance companies and many major banking institutions have become the latest to fall victims in the hacking game.

With the safeguard of Social Security numbers in mind, I decided I would call the IRS number and order the proper booklet, forms and envelope. There was a brief message of how to file online and after a short wait I reached a representative. I gave her the message of what I would need. She informed me I should receive a booklet and forms in a week to 10 days, but they were no longer printing envelopes. No envelopes? Will the next thing be no forms? Would that be called discrimination or the category of 'you can't stop progress.”

Edith Raus

Manchester