Anyone who still believes this government respects our privacy should read this story from a couple of days ago:

Wider use of private data planned

One of the basic planks of data protection and security is the "need to know" principle. Systems collect only the information they need for the users to do their job. People do not have access to information they do not need. Information is by default not shared.

To date, government systems have generally followed this principle. Information you supply to, for example, the DVLA is not routinely made available to the DSS. Even where information is duplicated (eg addresses) it is collected separately. This duplication reinforces the separation of systems and protects against accidental "data bleed" and deliberate "fishing" expeditions.

Now, in the name of efficiency, New Labour is planning to abolish adherence to this principle in central government. The protective "data silos" will be torn down. In future the assumption will be that all data we give to any government department can and will be shared with any other department.

So the distinction between any two government databases becomes purely physical. Logically, they will all become one huge database containing the entire record of our life. And you can bet that the proposed National Identity Register (NIR) will soon become central to this. Your shiny new National Identity Register Number (NIRN) will increasingly be used as the "key" to unlock your entire private life. The absence of such a common key today is one of the biggest technical factors protecting our privacy.

For all the government's talk about helping a "small but significant number of adults who have chaotic lives and multiple needs" this proposed change will apply universally - there will be no "opt in" mechanism.

The Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA) has produced a Vision Statement that shows how little they understand the concept of privacy. How can anyone take seriously a document that begins by saying (page 2): "This Government has an excellent track record of strengthening individuals' rights to privacy". NIR anyone? Child database?

And whilst the DCA talks about respecting privacy this is to be done by "Codes of Practice". However the document states (page 5) that "The aim of Codes of Practice will be to facilitate information sharing, not to add a burden to the data sharing process."

As Phil Booth of NO2ID observed, this reverses the assumption of confidentiality and represents an "abolition of privacy" in our dealings with the government.

Which is only to be expected from a government attempting to impose compulsory National Identity Cards and a huge, intrusive National Identity Register.

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