Andrew Watson
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Joined: 09 Jan 2005
Posts: 6279
Location: Cambridge
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 Posted: Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:49:16 +0000 Post subject: Herald: It’s not what you know, it’s who else knows it too |
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http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/featuresopinon/display.var.2499280.0.Its_not_what_you_know_its_who_else_knows_it_too.php
It’s not what you know, it’s who else knows it too
ANNE JOHNSTONE April 02 2009
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These gross intrusions are sold to us as necessary to prevent terrorism and make life more convenient. Data-sharing obviates the need for us to provide different government agencies with identical information. We'll no longer face the heartbreak of communications addressed to dead relatives. At least, that's the theory. We should be asking more about the price, not only to the Treasury but to our privacy.
The Scottish Government appears to be on the side of the angels in this debate, having rejected the whole notion of ID cards and a huge police DNA database. But beware "function creep": the growing exploitation of increasingly overlapping databases that are designed to protect us but are used to spy on us. Could Scotland's beloved pensioners' free bus pass become a wolf in sheep's clothing, an ID card through the back door? There's already talk of "entitlement cards", based on a personally unique number for use in communicating with all state agencies.
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