"We've entered the world of George Orwell's 1984 20 years late"
Secret services to be given access to ID card database
The intelligence services will be given unprecedented access to the government database underpinning the controversial identity card scheme, the Home Office said yesterday, prompting accusations of Big Brother-style surveillance of people's everyday lives. The plan emerged as David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, announced "refinements" to his ID card proposals, saying that the central register containing the cards' information would provide a "full audit trail" of when and where they were used. This could include every time holders use public services - including hospitals, benefits offices or colleges - buy an expensive item or make large withdrawals from banks. The Home Office insisted that only the security services, such as MI5 and MI6, and not police or government officials, would be allowed to access the data. But a spokesman for Liberty, the civil liberties organisation, said: "It's very easy to say today that only intelligence services could access this information. But they can't say that would be the case in five years' time. Once the information is in the system, it's open to misuse." The Liberal Democrat MP, Bob Russell, of the Home Affairs Select Committee , said: "We've entered the world of George Orwell's 1984 20 years late."
The Home Office also announced yesterday that the Government had scrapped the idea of combining the ID card with passports and driving licences. Having assessed the "cost, implementation and risk considerations", it said it had decided to introduce a separate, free-standing card.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=576769
From:
Aftermath News Service
Top Stories - October 29th, 2004
The intelligence services will be given unprecedented access to the government database underpinning the controversial identity card scheme, the Home Office said yesterday, prompting accusations of Big Brother-style surveillance of people's everyday lives. The plan emerged as David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, announced "refinements" to his ID card proposals, saying that the central register containing the cards' information would provide a "full audit trail" of when and where they were used. This could include every time holders use public services - including hospitals, benefits offices or colleges - buy an expensive item or make large withdrawals from banks. The Home Office insisted that only the security services, such as MI5 and MI6, and not police or government officials, would be allowed to access the data. But a spokesman for Liberty, the civil liberties organisation, said: "It's very easy to say today that only intelligence services could access this information. But they can't say that would be the case in five years' time. Once the information is in the system, it's open to misuse." The Liberal Democrat MP, Bob Russell, of the Home Affairs Select Committee , said: "We've entered the world of George Orwell's 1984 20 years late."
The Home Office also announced yesterday that the Government had scrapped the idea of combining the ID card with passports and driving licences. Having assessed the "cost, implementation and risk considerations", it said it had decided to introduce a separate, free-standing card.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=576769
From:
Aftermath News Service
Top Stories - October 29th, 2004
Starmail - 29. Okt, 23:26
