Data and Privacy

[rhythmaning]

The front page of today's The Independent had the roaring headline "Storm over Big Brother database, although Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, has just been on the radio saying "it is not a database of calls, emails..."

The BBC has more information.

Given the UK government's - and their contractor - rather clumsy habit of losing data with frightening frequency , this is very worrying.

Coupled with the continuing Government pressure for ID cards, I can imagine every conman and fraud rushing to find jobs in the Civil Service.

Comments

[pshtaku.livejournal.com]

Hmm - looks like a database of communication records rather than the content of the emails & calls i.e. who called whom, and when, rather than what they talked about.

Still a scary amount of data for someone to lose...

[fiendish-cat.livejournal.com]

I saw that headline late yesterday when I was in a newsagents and thought - well I'm OK then, I've never called Big Brother - it was only later I realised they weren't referring to the TV show.

(I did vaguely wonder why on earth the government wanting to keep records of all people who'd called and watched Big Brother mind you.)

[kittenexploring.livejournal.com]

I did vaguely wonder why on earth the government wanting to keep records of all people who'd called and watched Big Brother mind you.
Eugenic purposes?