Bad Science: Ben Goldacre on lost data, biometrics, and ID cards

[rhythmaning]

I have just read the Guardian (print edition), and Ben Goldacre had a very good article about why biometrics wouldn't have helped the seven million families who are worried that the loss of their personal data by HMRC will compromise their security, contrary to comments by Messrs Brown and Darling.

I am sure many of you are aware of Goldacre's blog, Bad Science, but if not, here is a link to the online version of his Guardian article.

Comments

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I just made my own post on the subject- I'm amazed at how poorly fingerprint biometric data seems to work, but then, given how badly fingerprints themselves are used, perhaps it shouldn't surprise me that a techno-fix based on fingerprints would fail as well.

I am still shocked that anyone would send unencrypted client records through the regular mail system as they did- for the whole country no less. I suppose if the CDs had only covered a few thousand records, though, there wouldn't be any sort of public shock.

Just as there doesn't (yet) seem to be any response here in Canada- I'd hope there will be reassurances from the feds and provinces at least that nothing remotely similar could happen here.

A guy can hope.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

The UK is one of the most watched societies in the world - I believe there are more CCTV surveillance cameras in the UK than in the USA - apparently, within the urban-UK, one is likely to be captured on CCTV 200 times a day. One of the ways the UK government reacted to the attack on the World Trade Centre, and then our own home grown terrorists, was to reduce freedom and propose ID cards.

They singularly failed to explain why ID cards failed to prevent the Madrid terrorist attacks, and every time someone points out the difficulties with ID cards, the government proposes some other way in which they will be useful.

I am deeply sceptical, as you might have realised!