NO2ID Press Release RSS

Buried news: Government advisors savage ID scheme

Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:01 GMT

Two additional documents [1] published by the Home Office on the same day as its obscure ten-year cost estimate [2] identify major problems with the delivery of the scheme. Gung-ho statements by the Home Secretary and other ministers conceal the official judgment that the scheme is in chaos. This follows only a month after the final release of the report by Sir James Crosby [3] originally commissioned by Gordon Brown as Chancellor. Crosby offered a list of 10 fundamental principles for a national identity scheme to conform to, all of which are already being broken by the current scheme [4].

Now the report by the government-appointed Independent Scheme Assurance Panel, a group comprising senior information managers from highly successful organisations [5], reveals:

1) Almost five years after it was first mooted, the ID scheme still lacks a "robust and transparent operational data governance regime and clear data architecture" (3.1). The panel indicates that this should be in place *before* procurement proceeds, but key suppliers were shortlisted months ago;

2) Despite passing the Act and spending over £100 million of public money, the scheme still has not received the "cross-Government sponsorship or take-up" it requires. (3.3, Identity management within Government) The ministerial committee dealing with this was disbanded in early 2007 (ibid.), and it now seems that a select group of officials in the IPS itself are driving the whole programme;

3) Though the tender process is supposedly well advanced, requirements for ICT systems, processes and operations have still to be adequately specified and the rationale for key design decisions is unclear (3.4, Programme Priorities).

4) Though "the integrity of the Scheme and trust in it are essential... it will never be free of errors" (3.7, citizen protection) and "based on the likelihood that the Scheme will aggregate a lot of valuable data, there is the risk that its trusted administrators will make improper use of this data" (ibid.);

Phil Booth, NO2ID's [6] National Coordinator, said:

"No specification, no departmental buy-in, no rationale for key design decisions � and no ministerial control. This is official confirmation that the Identity and Passport Service is a runaway train.

"As we pointed out back in January [7], Gordon Brown should pay attention to the detail. Ministers are rubber-stamping a consultant-driven scheme of epic proportions."

-ENDS-

Notes for editors:

1) The 'Independent Scheme Assurance Panel Annual Report for 2007': http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/ISAP_Annual_Report.pdf and a
'Report on key projects implemented in 2007': http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/IPS-report-on-key-projects-implemented-2007.pdf

2) http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/IPS-Identity-Cards-Scheme-Cost-Report-May2008.pdf

3) The Crosby review, 'Challenges and Opportunities in Identity Assurance':
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/6/7/identity_assurance060308.pdf

4) See analysis in NO2ID release, 7 March: "Crosby sets out 10 ID principles � Home Office scheme breaks all of them"
http://www.no2id.net/news/pressRelease/release.php?name=Crosby_10

5) http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/ISAP_Annual_Report.pdf
See 1.4 for the credentials of members.

6) NO2ID is the UK-wide non-partisan campaign against ID cards and the database state, and is affiliated to by the NUJ.
See http://www.no2id.net/dbstate.php for a list of 'database state' initiatives that NO2ID is actively opposing.

7) NO2ID: 'Brown "Charging ahead with ID" � but not in charge', 23/1/08
http://www.no2id.net/news/pressRelease/release.php?name=Charging_not_in_char ge

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.

Home Office "saves" £1bn from ID Scheme - by scrapping the "security"

Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:01 GMT

Released two months late [1], conveniently after the local elections, the Home Office has produced its latest ten year cost estimate for the ID scheme. NO2ID [2] would like to point out that the report actually admits to an "an overall increase in costs" [3] but then dumps almost a billion pounds off its headline figure by creative accounting, in order to match the announcement by Jacqui Smith on 6th of March that it would [4].

These magical 'saving' are achieved in three ways:

1) Slowing down the 'high-volume roll-out of ID cards until 2011/12 conveniently pushes several years of higher costs off the end of the ten year estimate period;
2) Plans to interrogate every applicant have clearly now been dropped. The initial 68 interrogation centres have proven to be completely ineffective [5];
3) IPS now says it will try to get the private sector to deliver biometric enrolment separately [6] - which will be necessary if there's nowhere to interrogate people - effectively acknowledging it as meaningless security theatre.

Phil Booth, NO2ID's National Coordinator, said:

"We�re used to the Home Office�s blatant creative accounting [7], but this is staggering. It now appears to have junked the primary pretext for the scheme. So what's it for?

"Ministers repeatedly asserted that ID registration would involve checking everyone individually and taking their fingerprints. Dropping interrogations and fingerprinting for all may knock a billion off the latest fantasy figures, but it scraps even this fairy-tale notion of security. They are rushing round and round in circles. It is a farce."

-ENDS-

Notes for editors:

1) The Identity Cards Act 2006 received Royal Assent on 30th March 2006. This six monthly report should therefore have been published by the end of March 2008.

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

3) Section 1.2 of 'Identity Cards Scheme Cost report, May 2008': http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/IPS-Identity-Cards-Scheme-Cost-Report-May2008.pdf

4) http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/Speeches/Speech-HS-Identity-Scheme1

5) "How many cheats have been caught out in the passport crackdown? You guessed it... none!" - Daily Mail, 23/3/08:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=543128&in_page_id=1770

6) "Private sector to collect biometrics for ID card plan" � Computing, 6/3/08:
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2211446/private-sector-key-role-id-card

7) For example, £342 million of "passport specific" costs for 2008/9 in the November 2007 report drop to £95 million in the new report, while £63
million of "combined" costs rise to £275 million over the same period. IPS is arbitrarily reassigning hundreds of millions, even on near-future estimates.

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.

Airport 'facial recognition' a cover for yet more data sharing

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:01 GMT

Campaign group NO2ID [1] condemned plans announced today to introduce unmanned border checkpoints using facial recognition technology as deliberate misdirection.

Though details are yet to be confirmed, comments by Home Office minister Liam Byrne [2] seem to indicate that the system will actually be based on reading the personal information stored on microchips in the new 'ePassports'. And that this will feed into the eBorders and 'Advanced Passenger Information' (API) systems that already spread tens of millions of travellers' personal details around the world.

NO2ID has already demonstrated the vulnerability of the personal information held on the chip embedded in the passport - first reading the supposedly secure chip using equipment bought over the internet for less than £100 [3] and then extracting all the data from an unknown person's passport, still sealed within the envelope in which it was sent from the Passport Office [4].

Phil Booth, NO2ID's national coordinator, said:

"These technologies are only being introduced to make it easier to collect and track personal information about travellers.

"People shouldn't be fooled by ministers' fairytale claims about biometrics, but should rather be asking where their personal details are being sent and why. Transmitting your passport data, home address, and even credit card details abroad shows contempt for YOUR security. And waving a camera in your face while doing it is just misdirection."

-ENDS-

Notes for editors

1) NO2ID is the UK-wide non-partisan campaign against ID cards and the database state. See http://www.no2id.net/dbstate.php for a list of 'database state' initiatives that NO2ID is actively opposing.

2) 'Face scans for air passengers to begin in UK this summer', Guardian, 25/4/08 -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/25/theairlineindustry.transport

3) http://www.guardian.co.uk/idcards/story/0,,1950226,00.html - working with security expert Adam Laurie, NO2ID were able to extract all the stored data from the new 'biometric' e-Passport using equipment bought for less than £100 over the internet. This data would not only allow criminals to 'clone' new chips with valid data into fake passports, but could also be used to facilitate fraud and identity theft.

4) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=440069&in_page_id=1770 - confounding Home Office claims that the data chip could only be accessed if the passport's unique 'MRZ number' is known, NO2ID read all the data from the chip on a new passport *still sealed inside the envelope* in which it was sent by supposedly "secure delivery" to its new owner.

--

For more information, or for immediate or future interview, please contact:

Phil Booth (National Coordinator, national.coordinator@no2id.net) on 07974 230 839, or
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.

Mayoral Candidates reject surveillance by Transport for London

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:01 GMT

For immediate release, 9/4/08

The platform at NO2ID's mayoral hustings [1] last night was unanimous: Oyster card and Congestion Charge data should not be used for any other purposes than collecting fares or charges without a warrant. Boris Johnson, Brian Paddick, Gerard Batten, Jenny Jones and Lindsey German were united in calling for a change in the current practice, where details of passenger and driver movements are disclosed on request to the DVLA, police and certain other government agencies [2].

The unpopularity [3] of the National Identity Scheme was clearly illustrated by uniform condemnation from the platform of ID cards and particularly the National Identity Register, the database behind the cards.

NO2ID's mayoral hustings last night was attended by all parties with London representation at Westminster, in Strasbourg or in the GLA, except the Labour Party. Si�n Berry (Green) sent Jenny Jones to represent her on the night, but � given every opportunity � the current Mayor declined to attend [4] and failed either to send a representative or give any response to NO2ID's questions, which were sent in advance to all invitees.

Commenting on the candidates' positions, Phil Booth, NO2ID's national coordinator, said:

"The relentless expansion of the database state into every aspect of our daily lives threatens privacy, personal security and even the presumption of innocence. What the government calls 'data sharing' is, in many cases, search without warrant.

"Londoners are among the most watched people on earth. It is hugely encouraging that the majority of those running for London mayor recognise this, and have committed to reversing the tide of mass surveillance."
-ENDS-

Notes for editors

1) NO2ID is the UK-wide non-partisan campaign against ID cards and the database state. See http://www.no2id.net/dbstate.php for a list of 'database
state' initiatives that NO2ID is actively opposing. The hustings were held at Friends House, Euston Road from 7pm.

2) Currently police make more than 3,000 requests a year for Oyster travel details and this is sharply increasing:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23440524-details/Police+make+3,000+requests+for+data+from+Oyster+cards/article.do

They have been given real-time access to Congestion Charge data for anti-terrorism purposes already:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6902543.stm

However, such information can be requested on an ad hoc basis without a warrant.

3) The last 4 independent polls NO2ID has seen show that more people oppose ID cards than want them:

Populus poll for the Times, 21/11/07 - 55% "drop ID cards", 29% "go ahead with ID cards":
http://www.populuslimited.com/uploads/download_pdf-211107-The-Times-Britains-Economy.pdf

BPIX poll for the Mail on Sunday, 25/11/08 - 46 % opposed to ID cards, 43% in favour:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=496237&in_page_id=1770

YouGov poll for the Telegraph, 3/12/07 � 48% against ID cards, 43% in favour:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/03/nidcards103.xml

ICM poll for the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd, 6/2/08 - 50% "bad idea", 47% "good idea":
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/feb/06/politics.idcards

4) Both Boris Johnson and Brian Paddick went directly from NO2ID's hustings to Newsnight's televised debate with Ken Livingstone later that evening.
--

For more information, or for immediate or future interview, please contact Phil Booth (National Coordinator, 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.

Crosby sets out 10 ID principles � Home Office scheme breaks all of them

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00:01 GMT

The Government has finally published the report of Sir James Crosby, who was
commissioned by Gordon Brown when chancellor [1], to study identity
management. Crosby's conclusions set out 10 clear principles for the design
of a "consumer-driven universal ID assurance system" scheme. The Home Office
scheme breaks every one of them.

The report was overshadowed by yesterday's announcements about the ID scheme
timetable from the Home Secretary, which were made several hours before the
Crosby Report was released. NO2ID condemns this mendacious news management.
Jacqui Smith's speech claimed Crosby in support of her plans. The opposite is true.

The principles are:

1. The purpose of any scheme should be restricted to enabling citizens to assert their identity

... BROKEN. The Government's ID scheme is explicitly for government functions.

2. Governance should inspire trust. It should be independent of Government

... BROKEN. The Government's ID scheme is run by a Home Office agency, and will be overseen by a commissioner who reports to the Home Secretary.

3. The amount of data stored should be minimised. Full biometric images (other than photographs) should not be kept [2]

... BROKEN. The Identity Cards Act 2006 lists FIFTY categories of information that will be kept, and that information will build up over a lifetime. For example, not just a current contact address, but every address
at which you've ever lived anywhere in the world.

4. Citizens should "own" their entry. It should not be possible, except for national security, for any data to be shared without informed consent

... BROKEN. The Government's ID scheme is designed to propagate information between government agencies, without (or with coerced) consent.

5. Enrolment should minimise costs and give citizens a hassle-free experience

... BROKEN. The Government's ID Scheme has been sold on the 'security' provided by personal interview and fingerprinting at one of the IPS's 69
newly commissioned interrogation centres.

6. To respond to consumers and give benefits, it should be capable of being rolled out quickly

... BROKEN. There is a ten-year timetable, one set by the means of coercion Government intends to use, not any consumer demand. The pace of an already unpopular [3] scheme will not be market-driven.

7. Citizens who lose cards or whose identity is compromised should be able to get it fixed quickly and efficiently

... BROKEN. Passports applications, the model for ID, are now slower and much more inconvenient as a direct result of merging them into the ID scheme.

8. The scheme's systems should work with existing, efficient, bank systems to reduce risks

... BROKEN. The Government's ID scheme is being built on the DWP's Citizen Information Service systems, which are already full of junk data.

9. To engage consumers enrolment and cards should be provided free of charge

... BROKEN. The Government ID scheme is notionally self-funding, with both charges and a system of heavy penalties to compel compliance. Enrolment may
involve substantial travel and costs for some.

10. The market should play a role in creating standards, to ensure ease of use and minimise costs

... BROKEN. The Government offers a centralised, top-down scheme, specified by Whitehall in secret, and implemented by non-competing contractors. This
amounts to nationalising personal identity as a Government monopoly.

--
Commenting on the Crosby Review and the latest wave of Home Office research on public attitude towards the scheme Phil Booth, NO2ID's National
Coordinator, said:

"Jacqui Smith may boast about the "undoubted" benefits of ID cards, but her own department's research shows that only 1 in 4 people thinks it can
deliver. That's a lot of doubt.

"Though it has had access through Sir James and others to the best advice, the Home Office has learned nothing. To continue the plan it first thought
of it traduces or obfuscates the views of real experts. Nothing has changed since it first dreamed up the plan.

"When he should listen to the advice he sought and have the courage to scrap a scheme that doesn't match up, Gordon Brown is feebly doing what the Home Office tells him."

-ENDS-

Notes for editors

1) The Crosby Review, entitled 'Challenges and Opportunities in Identity Assurance', is available here:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/6/7/identity_assurance060308.pdf

2) Full images of fingerprints would have to be stored because international standards for Machine Readable Travel Documents dictate that they must, if
the ID card is to be treated as a passport 'lite'. It does not have to be.Nor is there any existing requirement to store all ten fingerprints. Perhaps
not coincidentally, storing full biometric images would also facilitate biometric 'fishing expeditions' by the police and others.

3) The last 4 independent polls NO2ID has seen show that more people oppose ID cards than want them:

Populus poll for the Times, 21/11/07 - 55% "drop ID cards", 29% "go ahead with ID cardS":
http://www.populuslimited.com/uploads/download_pdf-211107-The-Times-Britains-Economy.pdf

BPIX poll for the Mail on Sunday, 25/11/08 - 46% opposed to ID cards, 43% in favour:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=496237&in_page_id=1770

YouGov poll for the Telegraph, 3/12/07 � 48% against ID cards, 43% in favour:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/03/nidcards103.xml

ICM poll for the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd, 6/2/08 - 50% "bad idea", 47% "good idea":
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/feb/06/politics.idcards

4) The latest 'wave' of Home Office polling prepared by COI Research for IPS Business Development & Marketing can be found here:
http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/IPS-Omnibus-Report-Wave-3.pdf

As with previous waves, the data shows that while three-quarters of people consider the claimed benefits to be "very important", still only just over
one quarter consider them to be "very believable". The number who "disagree strongly" with the National Identity Scheme has increased by 4% since October 2007.

NO2ID is the UK-wide non-partisan campaign against ID cards and the database state. See http://www.no2id.net/dbstate.php for a list of 'database state'
initiatives that NO2ID is actively opposing.

For more information, or for immediate or future interview, please contact:
Phil Booth (National Coordinator, 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.