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When we worry about who might be spying on our private lives,we usually think about the Federal agents . But the private sector outdoes the government every time. It's Linda Tripp,not the FBI ,who is facing charges under Maryland's laws secret telephone taping . It's our banks ,not the internal Renenue Service ,that pass our private financial data to telemarketing firms. Consumer activists what's going ono ,consider U.S. Bancorp,which was recently sued for deceptive practices by the state of Minnesota. According to the lawsuit, the bank supplied a telemarker called Member Works with sensitive customer data such as names ,phone numbers ,bank-account credit-card numbers ,Social Security numbers ,account banlances and credit limits. With these customer lists in hand ,Member Works started dialing for dollars-selling dental plans,videogames,computer software and other products and services. Customers who accepted a "free trial offer"had 30 days to cancel. If the deadline passed ,they were charged qutomatically through their bank or credit-card accounts. U.S. Bancorp collected a share of the revenues. Customers were doubly deceived,the lawsuit claims.They didn't know that the bank was giving account numbers to Member Works.And if customers asked ,they were led to think the answer was no. The state sued Member Works separately for deceptive selling .The company denies that it did anything wrong .For its part ,U.S.Bancorp settled without admitting any mistakes . But it agreed to stop exposing its customers to nonfinancial products sold by outside firms. Afew top banks decided to do the same .Many other banks will still do busiiness with Member Works and similar firms. And banks will still be mining data from your account in order to sell financial products ,including things od little value, such as cresit insurance and credit-card protection plans. You have almost no protection from business that ues your personal accounts for profit. For example ,no federal law shieds "transaction ans experience'information mainly the details of your bank and credit-card accounts. Social SEcurity numbers are for sale by private firms. They've generally agreed not to sell to the public. BUt to business, the numbers are an open book.Self-regulation doesn't work. A firm might publish a privacy-protection policy ,but who enforces it?