NO2ID News No. 100

19 June 2008

A NATIONAL DEBATE ON THE DATABASE STATE, AT LAST ?

NO2ID will be making the most of the opportunity provided by David Davis MP's dramatic resignation to encourage discussion of the surveillance society and ID cards. Mr Davis has repeatedly used the phrase "the database state", and we are sure that this is something he will want to talk about too.

Whilst NO2ID cannot endorse any candidate nor any particular party, and has no position on questions such as police powers, we welcome Mr Davis' stance wholeheartedly. Yorkshire NO2ID groups will be organising public information stands in Haltemprice and Howden on the two weekends preceding the poll on 10th July (contact yorkshire@no2id.net for details of how you can help). Other groups across the county and country as a whole will be doing the same in their areas.

How to talk to other supporters via NO2ID mailing lists

If you want to discuss the ID scheme/database state with people in your area and get together to do something about it (such as organising your own activities), NO2ID offers the means for you to do so with email 'mailing lists'.

The principle is simple. Once you are a member of a list then an email from you to that list's address (which would be something like xtown.no2id@lists.no2id.org) will go to everyone on the list and others can reply in the same way - you can therefore have multi-party conversations. It doesn't require you to have any special software and is all managed on NO2ID's private servers.

It may look a little strange at first because we don't use an elaborate commercial package, but it is easy to use if you try it. You will get a strangely titled email from our server (something like "confirm d97d8443846e7983c43d887fae5c13275b579874" ) containing details of the list you are joining and a link to click confirming you intend to join it. This stops someone else subscribing in your name.

Look at: http://www.no2id.net/localGroups/index.php to see the local lists you can join.

What's next?

Help wanted
NO2ID needs a part-time office manager to get on top of its administration (no pay at the moment but we might scrape together some funding for what is a very important role). The right person will be fanatically neat and organised and have experience in an admin role.We are also looking for meticulous people to do data-entry to maintain our membership and supporter records. A couple of hours at a time on a regular basis. Contact general.secretary@no2id.net if you can help

Request for volunteers
NO2ID is looking for someone to run the NO2ID Myspace page. Please email Matty Mitford on local.groups@no2id.net if you think you might be able to help.

5th July - NO2ID at Open Tech
Saturday, 5th July at ULU, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HY. NO2ID will be running a couple of sessions at this event which is an informal one-day conference on technology, society and low-carbon living. Doors open at 10am; the event starts at 10.30am. Tickets are ?5 on the door.
See http://www.ukuug.org/events/opentech2008

LOCAL GROUPS NEWS

We now have local groups in 44 of the 69 proposed locations for interrogation centres - of which just 3 have yet to open. Parliamentary answers indicate that the most active centres are: Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Peterborough and Sheffield.

For information on your nearest interrogation centre, see www.no2id.net/getInvolved/idCentres.php. If you can help set up a local group in one of the remaining locations, or anywhere else in the UK, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net

Aylesbury

15th July - Inaugural NO2ID Aylesbury Meeting
Tuesday, 15th July 7.30pm at The Bricklayers Arms : 19 Walton Terrace, Walton Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP21 7QY. Contact: Neil Briscoe at aylesbury@no2id.net

Cromer

7th July - Cromer NO2ID First Meeting
Monday, 7th July 7:30pm, at The White Horse Inn, West Street, Cromer.Thereafter meetings will be at the same time and venue, on the first Monday of the month.

Cambridge

NO2ID Stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair
Cambridge NO2ID ran its now-traditional stall at the city's annual Strawberry Fair on Saturday 7th June. Despite iffy weather and intermittent light drizzle we signed up over 500 new supporters in 7 hours, and handed out over 1000 flyers. At times the queue at the stall was three deep. Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped. Here's a photo of first shift on the stall, getting ready to greet the public at about 11am:
http://tinyurl.com/3es27m

21st June - NO2ID Cambridge Stall
Saturday, 21st June at 10am in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall. Location Map: http://tinyurl.com/eo42r. As ever, volunteers to help very welcome - please email cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on 07710 469624 if you can make it.

2nd July - Cambridge NO2ID pub meeting (1st Wednesday of each month)
Wednesday, 2nd July 7.30pm at the Salisbury Arms, 76 Tenison Rd, Cambridge CB1 2DW (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=cb1 2dw). For more details contact cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on 07710 469624.

Camden & Islington

21st June - Camden & Islington NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 21st June 1pm-4pm in Crouch End, opposite the clock tower. Any helpers welcome.

7th July - Camden & Islington NO2ID Meeting
Monday, 7th July 8pm at The Castle, 54 Pentonville Road. We cover our table with NO2ID flyers. Any enquiries camden@no2id.net

Canterbury

22nd June - 'Taking Liberties' Film Showing
Sunday, 22nd June at Orange Street Music Club, Orange St, Canterbury. Doors at 7pm, showing starts at 8.30pm. Music before and afterwards. Entry free. Please spread the word!

28th June - Canterbury NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday 28th June - Next Canterbury NO2ID High St Stall. Please get in touch if you are happy to help out (canterbury@no2id.net).

There is talk of organising a day-time weekend NO2ID picnic somewhere in the green areas of Canterbury city centre over the summer. If you're interested in getting involved with this, or any event, please e-mail canterbury@no2id.net.

Dorking

Streets stalls are regular events every couple of weeks. We now have over 1100 signatures from 6 stalls. On 25th September we have organised a special "Question Time" to discuss ID Cards. The panel will be announced in due course, but we already have our MP signed up for it. We continue to push for action against ID from our Council.

Meetings every first Tuesday at 7.30pm. Venue changed - tba. For more info email dorking@no2id.net .

Edinburgh

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh street stall
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John (edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

Glasgow

Most Saturdays 2pm - NO2ID Glasgow street stall
Most Saturdays there are stalls in Glasgow city centre (usually Buchanan Street) from about 2pm. Volunteers are always welcome, please contact Geraint if you would like to help: glasgow@no2id.net

Kensington and Chelsea

6th Ju;y - Kensington and Chelsea NO2ID Stall
Sunday, 6th July at the Earl's Court Street Fair. Anyone who would like to help please contact Jill Manasseh at (kensington@no2id.net).

Lancaster

Lancaster NO2ID's presence at the Community Festival this year proved very successful, with both the young and old coming to discuss the issue and sign the petition at the stall. Even the Mayor of Lancaster, Councillor Keith Budden, stopped by for a chat and took a leaflet. Most people seemed to be more aware of the ID scheme and NO2ID than the previous year and were eager to declare their stance against it. A good day was had by all until it started to rain.

Oxford

6th July - NO2ID Oxford at the Cowley Road Carnival Sunday, 6th July from noon. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the government's scheme, but the carnival is 6 hours long so we are definitely going to need some helpers. Please let us know if you can lend a hand (oxford@no2id.net). The day will be split into 3 shifts: 1200-1400, 1400-1600 and 1600-1800. If you have any preference which shift you help on, let us know that too.

Southampton

2nd July - Southampton NO2ID Meeting (the first Wednesday of every month)
Wednesday 2nd July, The Dolphin pub, Osbourne Road South, Southampton (next to St Denys railway station), 8pm. All welcome.

Yorkshire

Yorkshire NO2ID call for activists
Yorkshire NO2ID is putting out a call to activists across the county to help with additional street stalls, leafleting and writing letters in the run up to the Davis by-election. If you have thought about getting involved in the NO2ID campaign and live in the region then now is the perfect opportunity to help put a stop to the database state. No previous campaign experience is necessary just bring your enthusiasm! Email Regional coordinator James Elsdon-Baker at Yorkshire@no2id.net who will put you in touch with other local activists. (NO2ID is non-partisan and will be campaigning as usual against the database state and ID cards, not for or against David Davis).

What just happened?

Home Affairs Committee "A Surveillance Society?" Report published

Last week (8th June) the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee released their 'A Surveillance Society?' report. The report warns that "ours could be described as a surveillance society unless trust in the Government%u2019s intentions in relation to data and data sharing is preserved" - so that's a yes then! On the database state they quote the Surveillance Studies Network who point out that "the foundation for all new surveillance technologies is the database%u201D. With regard to the ID scheme the report recommends "that the Home Office publish its plans for collecting and retaining administrative information as part of the NIR [National Identity Register] and that it commit to a principle of data minimisation for the National Identity Scheme".
Download the report (Fifth Report, HC 58-I & HC 58-II) at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmhaff.htm

Brown tells IPPR that technology will save us all

Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a speech this week to the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) about "liberty and emerging threats to security in London". Brown tried to suggest that there is public support for the ID scheme because, although nay-sayers try to suggest that it's about enhancing the power of the state, "in fact it starts from a recognition of the importance of something which is fundamental to the rights of the individual: the right to have your identity protected and secure". The reality is of course that the more people hear about the ID scheme the more they dislike it. On the recently released Home Affairs Committee report he said: "I believe that the new plan for the ID card scheme announced by the Home Secretary in March included important steps in the direction of the 'principle of data minimization' which the Committee recommends". It's hard to see how demanding from each of us the 50 pieces of information (as laid out in Schedule 1 of the ID cards act) and loading them into the National Identity Register, where they will have to be updated and maintained throughout your life and beyond, could be seen as data minimisation!
Read or watch the speech at http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page15786.asp

Sweden's little Echelon

By the narrowest of margins (143 to 139), the Swedish parliament has passed a law allowing the military radio service to monitor all telecommunications between Sweden and other countries. The vote sparked a furore in a country where midsummer celebrations generally mean a lull in political interest. Visits to websites opposing the law outstripped those to sites about the EURO 2008 football cup. Leading the "No" campaign were IT specialists, lawyers' associations, civil rights groups, the journalists' union and the newspaper publishers' association. Many of the government's own MPs deserted it in the run-up to the vote on 18 June. Major newspaper Dagens Nyheter commented: "It will now be legal to eavesdrop and spy on people who are not under any kind of suspicion. We're not talking about Yemen, North Korea or the former GDR here, but about Sweden." Contacted by the paper, Privacy International said the only known comparable surveillance system in terms of intrusiveness is the US-British Echelon.

"ID" in the news

ICO to review surveillance annually - KableNet 17/6/08
The prime minister has defended identity cards, biometrics and CCTV, but has agreed that the information commissioner will write an annual review of government surveillance for Parliament.
http://www.kablenet.com/kd.nsf/Frontpage/E3AA2D3BE042C2E68025746B004C1F04?OpenDocument

David Davis is still right - The Guardian 17/6/08
Those who doubted the effectiveness of David Davis's resignation last week, saying it was a one-day stunt that would be quickly forgotten, have only to read Gordon Brown's speech to the IPPR today to see how big an impact Davis has had. The prime minister responded to all the main charges made by Davis from the steps of the House of Commons last week on 42-day pre-charge detention, ID cards, CCTV cameras and the DNA database.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/17/uksecurity.terrorism

UK shame and US pride - The Guardian 16/6/08
Guant?namo, however grotesque, is a one-off, which may soon end; but 42 days is part of a pattern which includes ID cards, CCTV cameras, and a host of other measures whittling away our rights and the rule of law. Unlike Guant?namo, the British laws are meant to last.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/16/civilliberties.terrorism

MPs warn ID cards could be used to spy on the public - The Scotsman 9/6/08
The UK government's controversial national identity card scheme could be used to mount surveillance operations on members of the public, a powerful committee of MPs has warned.
http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/MPs-warn-ID-cards-could.4163977.jp

Stallman attacks Oyster's 'unethical' use of Linux - ZDNet 9/6/08
Free-software advocate Richard Stallman has spoken out against the association of open-source software with London's "unethical" Oyster-card system. "The GNU system (often called "Linux") has been developed, since 1984, for the sake of computer users' freedom. Ironically, it is now the basis for a system designed to smother the freedom of the people of London, through online payments to Oyster cards".
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39431419,00.htm

Mafia will steal millions of biometric identities, MPs warned - Mail On Sunday 8/6/08
Plans for biometric identity cards and a national ID database will play into the hands of Mafia bosses, MPs have been warned. Crime bosses would get hold of a person's unique fingerprint data and capture his or her identity forever, said Ross Anderson, professor of security engineering at Cambridge University.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1024946/Mafia-steal-millions-biometric-identities-MPs-warned.html

Cybercrooks plant phishing scam on crime reduction website - The Register 3/6/08
Phishing fraudsters hacked a Home Office crime reduction website to host an Italian phishing website on Monday.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/03/home_office_crime_reduction_hack/

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) )

Publication details: © NO2ID 2013 - This document may be freely redistributed in one-to-one communications or physical copies as long as it is reproduced in its entirety including this notice. It may not be mass-mailed without the prior permission of NO2ID.
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