Comments on: Hurrah for ID Cards!

By: Gallimaufry

Gallimaufry — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:35:07 +0000

Cmdr Allen is catching up on his reading backlog. I recall reading this in February this year: http://www.civitas.org.uk/blog/2008/02/criminals_use_the_database_sta.html#more
It’s to be expected from a culture that places family, clan and umma ahead of secular civil society. The amazing thing is that some staff are prepared to access the data despite the certainty they will be caught.

By: Kay Tie

Kay Tie — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:21:22 +0000

“Well, as they are always telling us – if they’ve got nothing to hide………….”

Alas it’s one way. Try photographing a policeman and see what he does.

By: Back of an envelope

Back of an envelope — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:20:00 +0000

Presumably this audit trail will also track accesses to your records from legitimate civil servants forced to check you out as part of their job procedure. What degree of privacy will be provided to them? Will we be able to identify the clerk who processed our tax returns or the person who turned down our application for a benefit?

Well, as they are always telling us – if they’ve got nothing to hide………….

By: Phil Beesley

Phil Beesley — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:10:27 +0000

“The easiest way to stop this is to give everyone access to their own data. They would walk up to a secure terminal; pop in their ID card; type their secret pin number; and up would come the data held on them. Plus details of who had accessed it; when and why.”

By: Kay Tie

Kay Tie — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:40:37 +0000

That’s included in the Act and is planned. A PIN number to access an audit trail (probably via a Home Office web site rather than a terminal, though).

Trouble is, lots of other bodies can access the audit trail too. State employees will be able to see where you drink (must show card to prove age), where you fill up your car with petrol (must stop yobs making petrol bombs), where you buy your food (must prove you’re over 21 for that bottle of wine), where you top up your mobile phone (must stop terrorists paying and going), when you visit the clinic (must stop health tourism), when you sign on (must stop benefit fraud). Oh, and what your nearest Post Office is when collecting a parcel (hat tip: BobB, who is* prepared to accept a police state as long as he can collect his mail order Viagra without hassle).

*Or, given that BobB hasn’t turned up here for months, perhaps “was” is more accurate

By: Back of an envelope

Back of an envelope — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:26:57 +0000

The easiest way to stop this is to give everyone access to their own data. They would walk up to a secure terminal; pop in their ID card; type their secret pin number; and up would come the data held on them. Plus details of who had accessed it; when and why.

By: Kay Tie

Kay Tie — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:40:46 +0000

“I’d like to think it’s because Cmdr Allen doesn’t have any evidence that this is actually happening”

I’d like to think that too. But the coyness of the way the Telegraph wrote this (it’s clearly supposed to be a problem with Asian GPs and benefit office workers, but not mentioned anywhere) makes me worry that it’s a fear of being accused of racism that sweeps this all under the carpet. So much easier to attack the English Democrats in the Henley by-election campaign for flying the English flag “illegally”.

By: JuliaM

JuliaM — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:15:23 +0000

“Why haven’t these people been prosecuted and jailed?”

I’d like to think it’s because Cmdr Allen doesn’t have any evidence that this is actually happening, and is just getting his name in the papers…

By: Kay Tie

Kay Tie — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:59:36 +0000

Unbelievable. Drop an apple core, and five policemen will turn up to arrest you. Conspire in kidnapping and ACPO will write a report on how worried they are by Asian culture.

Why haven’t these people been prosecuted and jailed?