HMRC privacy meltdown: NO2ID calls for immediate audit of personal information held b

20 November 2007

Responding to the news that HMRC has lost the confidential details of over 15 million people [1], NO2ID [2] this afternoon called for an immediate halt to the development of the National Identity Scheme and related ?identity management? initiatives[3] until a full and independent audit of all personal information held on government systems has been conducted.

Phil Booth, NO2ID's National Coordinator, said:

"This data disaster shows up the madness behind the government?s ID schemes. People had no choice about giving up that information. It makes the government the biggest identity thief of all.

?It?s bad enough that HMRC can?t be trusted with basic financial details. But within five years the Home Office could be leaking or losing people?s complete identity records. And ?data-sharing? plans would make your whole life depend on government ID management. If you are not on their list, you won?t exist.

?Development of the National Identity Scheme should stop now. But more than that ? we all need to know what information the government holds about us now, how it is already being shared among departments, and what the dangers are. That will only happen if there is a full and independent audit of what personal information is currently collected and the ways it is used.?


-ENDS-

Notes for editors:

1) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7103566.stm - Discs with 15m bank details lost, BBC News, 20/11/07.

2) NO2ID is the UK-wide non-partisan campaign against ID cards and the database state. Scroll down http://www.no2id.net for a list of ?database state? initiatives
that NO2ID is actively opposing.

3) See: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/B/9/pbr_csr07_service.pdf

For the ?Service Transformation Agreement? the Treasury document that last month laid out how all government activity is planned to be tied to centralised ?identity management?.For further information, or for immediate or future interview, please contact Phil Booth (National Co-ordinator, national.coordinator@no2id.net) on 07974 230 839, Guy Herbert (General Secretary, general.secretary@no2id.net) on 07956 544 308, or Michael Parker (Press Officer, press.officer@no2id.net) on 07773 376 166.


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