Nothing to hide?
For some time, I have been boring the people I speak to in the pub with my thoughts on Identity cards. I have blogged about it too.
They often look at me sideways and say "Well I have nothing to hide, what's your problem?" The unsaid next sentence is of course that my objection to letting the government collect all my data on a single large database is that I must have some dark secret that needs to be hidden.
How about keeping secret your address, bank details, national insurance number and the names and ages of all your children?
Seems that if you do give it to the government they might just leave it lying around on some CDs for anyone to look at.
The chancellor says the Banks will not anyone loose money, but should bank shareholders pay for government mistakes?
What if someone uses that information to kidnap a child?
I just heard Alistair Darling say on Radio 4 that if we let the goverment have more data for ID cards it would me more secure. Sorry, but I don't belive it!
HM Revenue and Customs have always been pretty much above the law and reproach. Perhaps its time they were brought down a peg or five and made much much more accountable for their actions.
Yesterdays news, however, is another and equally valid point.
Our government is incompetent and cannot be trusted to implement even basic security in regards of the huge amount of data it now holds on each and every one of us.
I'll say it again. It is incompetent and cannot be trusted.
Your point is well made. Many of the people who support ID cards seem to trust the Government without question. I really don't understand why. The recent data losses show that incompetance can be added to malice as a reason not to trust them without question.