The Jesuits reportedly say "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man". It's a wise motto that applies to more than just religion. If you want to indoctrinate people into anything then the time to do it is when they're young.

One example is acceptance of the surveillance state. To many adults the idea of being routinely fingerprinted, scanned and tracked is repugnant. But if you can get the youngsters to accept it as a matter of course, turn it into a game, then they'll grow up with no understanding of the importance of privacy.

From NO2ID Coventry & Warwickshire via David Nikel I learned of a wonderful family fun event in Ohio. The Summit County Park Safety Day boasts various jolly activities for kids - including "child fingerprinting and iris scans".

Talk about indoctrination. Now, I'm sure that those involved in this particular event have the best of motives. This is simply an example of how far the surveillance state is infiltrating our lives. This event is - however unwittingly - helping to train a new generation that biometric invasion of privacy is something to be welcomed rather than resisted.

Of course, that's America. Routine fingerprinting of kids couldn't happen here in the UK.

Oh yes it could.

biometrics children UK politics ukpolitics

Labels: biometrics, children