Too Trusting by Far

[major_clanger]

I admit it. I was wrong. For too long I regarded the warnings and concerns of those opposed to ID cards as exaggerated, misguided or simply a lower priority than the many other issues facing society at the moment.

Well, today I've had to eat humble pie. The monumental data-protection clusterfuck perpetrated by HMRC is conclusive evidence that any assurances about data security for such a system will be worthless. Any chain of security measures can only be as strong as its weakest link, and given the volume of data involved and the number of people who will have access to it, there will be very many weak links indeed.

I've just signed up online to donate monthly to NO2ID and my membership form will be going in the post tomorrow. With the fervour of the convert, I urge you all to follow.

Comments

[t--m--i.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be surprised if they drop this because the Big Brother databases are all there already (and now, they know I'm shortsighted!) so if a concession needs to be made....

Actually I wonder if it's all been a tremendous diversion to draw people's attention away from this fact + various bits of new legislation.

Even if I worked for one of the companies likely to get big moolah for this sort of work (which I don't) I still can't see any point at all in it. But preaching to the converted here of course! But it's going to be such a tremendous waste of money.... gaaaaah.

[pmcray.livejournal.com]

The kinds of people who are principal/managing consultants at companies like Accenture, CapGemini, EDS are extremely avaricious. A decade long boondoggle will keep them hitting their sales/revenue targets and keep those fat bonuses rolling in. Which is the only thing that matters to them.

There isn't a ghost of a chance of ID cards being dropped as long as the "Daily Mail" still favours, As Ross Anderson has just pointed out on "Newsnight", they are not actually a security issue, they are a political one. And I am sure that ministers will be receiving all the assurance they need about ID cards from senior members of the consultocracy over the next few days and weeks.

[rmc28]

As we are in receipt of Child Benefit for Charles, I have to assume our personal data is involved, and am Not Impressed.

(speaking as a long-time NO2ID member in good standing)

[sharikkamur.livejournal.com]

I think this might finally kill the ID card project (speaking as another No2ID person). They cannot seriously expect the public to believe that their data will be safe after this.

Hmm... I wonder if the courier in question feels the same way about ID cards? Or is that just my natural ability to spot a conspiracy theory at 10 parsecs? :)

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the Party, comrade.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Aye, welcome.

[peteyoung.livejournal.com]

Thirded.

[bibliogirl.livejournal.com]

Fourthed.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Sent in my tenner for the pledge on the strength of it yesterday - I was going to wait until the end of the month, but I get the impression the money may be needed sooner rather than later.

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

I've just sent this to my MP, John Horam

Dear John

My vote at the next General Election will be based on which party reverses the trend to curtail human rights using modern surveilance technology. I am fervently opposed to the police state measures being introduced by the Labour Party under the guise of anti-terrorist legislation. ID schemes, imprisonment without trial for longer and longer periods, car numberplate tracking schemes, prosecution for the holding of such banal documents as the Anachists Cookbook all smack of the introduction of a police state by the back door, enabled by modern IT systems. The HMRC cockup this week convinces me that such systems are rife for abuse, both by governments and criminals.

This is not the Britain I want to live in, and I will vote for the party which promises to maintain my human rights. Currently this is the Liberal Democrats, your main opposition in Orpington. If you wish to keep your seat, you will need to convince me the Conservative party will make a manifesto commitment to stop such systems dead.

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

To be fair, the conservatives are against the ID card, extending imprisonment without trial and a number of other things on your list, but by no means all. I'll be interested to see what reply you get as I think this is an issue the conservatives (and other opposition parties) could score big with, especially if they're prepared to break the cosy conspiracy of silence about how useless the vast databases all this systems will be. If you're looking for a terrorist needle in a haystack you don't succeed by making that haystack ten times bigger.

[peteyoung.livejournal.com]

If you're looking for a terrorist needle in a haystack you don't succeed by making that haystack ten times bigger.

Well put.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

It's an important issue, but to vote on that alone is, I feel, a mistake.

My vote will go to whichever party will do the most to prevent climate change - in the big picture it's a more important issue. (I hope that the party I choose on that basis will also be opposed to the ID scheme, long prison terms, etc.)

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Quite.

Must send in my No2ID money ...

[watervole.livejournal.com]

I must admit I've made pretty much the same mental shift for the same reason.

[ramtops.livejournal.com]

There is much rejoicing when another lamb comes into the fold.

p.s. We told you so.

[ci5rod.livejournal.com]

Ditto and likewise. Welcome, Simon!