One poet described his poetic vocation as a violent assault: his personal jinni had appeared to him without any warning, thrown him to the ground and forced the verses from his mouth.1 So, when Muhammad heard the curt command "Recite!"

NPR: Armstrong, 'Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time'

Because some of the data that Siri collects can be very personal, the American Civil Liberties Union put out a warning about Siri just a couple of months ago.

CNN: IBM worries iPhone's Siri has loose lips

In 2006, for example, 120 Chinese scientists, many working in the United States, wrote to the country's science-policy officials warning of the risks of unfounded allegations and anonymous personal attacks.

ECONOMIST: Chinese ethics

Ambassadors are warning Mr Museveni and his governing circle of the dangers of putting personal interests above national ones.

ECONOMIST: Uganda

The accused hacker is accused of warning victims against contacting authorities, allegedly threatening to retaliate by releasing purloined personal data.

FORBES: Man Accused Of Using Hacking For 'Sextortion'

In February, ChoicePoint, a large data-collection agency, began sending out letters warning 145, 000 Americans that it had wrongly provided fraudsters with their personal details, including Social Security numbers.

ECONOMIST: Identity theft