Big Brother
Not the TV programme, but the book.
The latest scheme to connect up all the Government databases, is an attempt to improve matters by linking data on the public is very worrying.
According to the Minister, someone had 44 contacts with the Government to confirm the details after someone died in a car crash. Is that due to the various departments being incompetent and not recording the data properly, rather than 44 separate departments?
Of course it is the former, as I would guess that the DWP are at least half these contacts. This is an excuse to snoop and not a genuine attempt to improve matters. A recent experience with the DWP showed that their own systems were not linked and that there was constant repetition of the information, and no ability to co-ordinate the matters that need to be resolved.
If there was a serious desire to improve such matters, then start by having a single contact point to notify of deaths. That person would then check with the Registrar; inform every other department; stop pension payments; issue pre-populated forms to the Executor; and cancel any passport. Simple, and obvious, but not as sexy as a big spanking new database.
For an example of MI5s innovative use of technology, and understanding of security read this report from Spy Blog.
The latest scheme to connect up all the Government databases, is an attempt to improve matters by linking data on the public is very worrying.
According to the Minister, someone had 44 contacts with the Government to confirm the details after someone died in a car crash. Is that due to the various departments being incompetent and not recording the data properly, rather than 44 separate departments?
Of course it is the former, as I would guess that the DWP are at least half these contacts. This is an excuse to snoop and not a genuine attempt to improve matters. A recent experience with the DWP showed that their own systems were not linked and that there was constant repetition of the information, and no ability to co-ordinate the matters that need to be resolved.
If there was a serious desire to improve such matters, then start by having a single contact point to notify of deaths. That person would then check with the Registrar; inform every other department; stop pension payments; issue pre-populated forms to the Executor; and cancel any passport. Simple, and obvious, but not as sexy as a big spanking new database.
For an example of MI5s innovative use of technology, and understanding of security read this report from Spy Blog.
2 comments:
i find it rather worrying when a government acctually has to deny that its scheme is like big brother - you should be able to look at a government scheme and make your own mind up!
Of course NEW Labours big idea to help cut crime,ID cards? the way things are going they are a waste of time and money.The technology to inject a chip into the human body with all the infomation to tell any government who you are and WHERE you are at any given time is just around the corner,that can be scanned from a satellite in orbit.Well they chip dogs and can control the speed of every car in the UK by satellite if they wanted to now.It`s only a matter of time that if you are convicted of a crime this will be done to you.The DNA bank is a good example even if you are not convicted of a crime you can end up on it.And lets face it can you see the three main parties resisting that kind of power?.To make the british people accept all this just let it all get worse.
This is just another nail in the coffin of our human rights here in Britain.We have had so many nails nailed into our coffin by the tories/new labour over the last 27yrs there is now more metal then wood.
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