[no2id-supporters] NO2ID Newsletter No.77

Thu Aug 2 15:50:51 BST 2007

    NO2ID Supporters' Newsletter No. 77 - 2nd August 2007

* Contacting us:* Call or email the office - 020-7793-4005 or 
(office at no2id.net). Please do not reply to this email. (The from address 
is not a working email address)

      THEY'RE COMING FOR YOUR KIDS

In the rush of announcements and over 40 written statements put out in 
the final days of the Parliamentary session, you may not have noticed 
that the government has given the final go-ahead for ContactPoint - the 
database formerly known as the Children's IS Index.

Like the National Identity Register - the linked databases at the heart 
of the ID cards scheme - ContactPoint will contain significant amounts 
of personal information ON EVERY CHILD IN THE UK. Over 300,000 people 
will have access to the system, which is intended to be up and running 
by next year. We understand that the details of celebrities' and public 
figures' children may be kept hidden, a two-tier privacy policy that 
demonstrates the very real security risks such a system introduces.

Each child will be given an ID number, and their record will contain 
details about their parents, doctor, health visitor, midwife and/or 
school nurse, school and/or college, services they have accessed - 
specifically flagging up vulnerable children who have accessed 
"sensitive services", e.g. to do with sexual or mental health - and a 
link to a new social services assessment, the eCAF*. Far from reducing 
risks to children, child protection specialists have expressed alarm 
that practitioners will be so overwhelmed with low-level data about all 
11 million children in the country that those at risk of harm will in 
fact be less likely to be noticed.

Did you know that from 2008 the government will be monitoring YOUR child 
from birth? Plenty of questions remain unanswered: why put every child 
in the country on a database that less than half will ever need? Why 
spend all this money rather than investing in much-needed children's 
services? Why should a politician's children get greater protection than 
your son/daughter/nephew/granddaughter?

Tell your family and friends. Wake people up now. Write to your MP and 
your local paper's letters page. The ID scheme may be slipping, but the 
government's surveillance and data-sharing agenda is gathering pace. And 
first they're coming for your kids.
--
* For more detail on ContactPoint, eCAF and the growing surveillance of 
children, we highly recommend Action on Rights for Children's blog and 
particularly ARCH's Database Masterclass: http://archrights.wordpress.com/

      What's next?

        Local groups news

We have local groups all over the country and in 36 of the 69 locations 
of ID interrogation centres. If you can help to set up a local group in 
one of the remaining towns then please contact us at (office at no2id.net). 
A full list of local groups can be found at www.no2id.net/localGroups

        Kensington and Chelsea NO2ID mugs

Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID once again have some mugs sporting the NO2ID 
logo. The mugs are available by mail order for just £7 or £4 in person 
with a reduction for bulk purchases i.e. (4 or more) to £3. Contact 
kensington at no2id.net for more details of how to order.

        Manchester NO2ID calls for "Students against ID" volunteers

Manchester NO2ID are still looking for people interested in helping with 
a Students Against ID society in the next academic year. If you're at 
all interested, whether you'd be prepared to shoulder the responsibility 
yourself or just help someone else out, please drop an e-mail to 
manchester at no2id.net

        Still showing - "Taking Liberties" documentary film featuring
        NO2ID at cinemas around the country

The documentary which features NO2ID is still showing at cinemas across 
the UK. The film is described as "a shocking but hilarious polemic 
documentary that charts the destruction of all your Basic Liberties 
under 10 Years of New Labour". More info at 
http://www.noliberties.com/cinema.htm

        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 at no2id.net), 
and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

        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 at no2id.net.

        7th and 21st August - Glasgow NO2ID Meeting

Tuesday 7th and 21st August, our regular fortnightly meeting at 8pm in 
Mono. All welcome. Map: http://www.glasgow-no2id.org.uk/meeting.html

        11th August - NO2ID Manchester Street Stall

Saturday, 11th August 1-3pm - we'll be running a Saturday afternoon 
stall in St. Anne's Square. We'll meet in the square itself at 1pm to 
set up shop. Feel free to join us to lend a hand or just chat. You don't 
need any experience or equipment, just a bit of time to spare and a 
friendly smile!

        15th August - Manchester NO2ID Meeting

Wednesday, 15th August 7-9pm - Manchester NO2ID will be holding our 
monthly meeting in the upstairs function room of the Town Hall Tavern, 
Tib Lane, Manchester. Sadly, this venue is not wheelchair-accessible, 
please contact us if you have accessibility needs.The Town Hall Tavern 
serves reasonably-priced, good quality food until 8pm so you don't need 
to pop home for tea - you can even order your meal brought up to the 
function room.

        8th September - Cambridge NO2ID at the Cherry Hinton Festival

Saturday, 8th September - Cambridge NO2ID will have a stall at the 
Cherry Hinton Festival (http://www.cherryhintonfestival.co.uk/). 
Volunteers to help man the stall and distribute NO2ID literature, car 
stickers and badges very welcome. Contact Alex or Andrew at 
cambridge at no2id.net.
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      What just happened?

        Remote ID bureaucrats stick a pin in the map

Many thanks to all of the supporters who have contacted us since last 
week's appeal for information about the ID interrogation centres around 
the country. Ian Cowling in Devon told us about the centre listed under 
Barnstaple, North Devon. Ian writes: "This address is actually in South 
Molton, 15 miles from Barnstaple (largest local population centre) on an 
industrial estate with no bus service. Users would have to travel here 
via the notorious North Devon Link Road (26 killed in accidents during 
the last 19 years). The only bus services to South Molton town for the 
70,000 people in North Devon are via Barnstaple and Tiverton, each 15 
miles from South Molton. THERE ARE NO TRAINS HERE SINCE 1964!"
Further information about interrogation centres can be sent to 
passports at no2id.net.

        MPs Debate Child Fingerprinting

On July 23rd Greg Mulholland MP introduced an adjournment debate to an 
almost empty House of Commons on biometric data in schools. The debate 
coincided with the release of guidelines by the British Education 
Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA). Mr Mulholland said: "The 
collection of biometric data in our schools is unnecessary, intrusive 
and insecure. A can of worms has been opened and, as yet, the Government 
have failed adequately to close it." The Minister for Schools and 
Learners (Jim Knight) replied that: "It is not '1984' by the backdoor. 
There are no sinister forces at work here, and I would argue that it is 
irresponsible to suggest otherwise to get some cheap headlines." He went 
on to point out that "the guidance specifically recommends that schools 
give pupils and parents with genuine concerns the opportunity to opt 
out. Those who choose to do so should be offered an alternative means of 
accessing the same services."
Read a transcript of the debate at http://tinyurl.com/2z38ta
Watch the debate at 
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Player/index.aspx?Encoding=7306

        Government releases child fingerprinting guidelines

The British Education Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) has 
released guidelines on child fingerprinting in schools. The government's 
focus has been solely on data protection issues whist disregarding 
whether it is morally acceptable for a society to allow widespread 
fingerprinting of children. The guidelines state: "There is nothing 
explicit in the Data Protection Act to require schools to seek the 
consent of parents before implementing a biometric technology system." 
The guidelines do suggest though that: "Whilst consent is not required 
for all processing of personal data, schools should normally involve 
pupils and parents in their decisions to use biometric technologies as 
is the case with other decisions made during the school life of 
children." The Information commissioner has released a statement that 
says issues such as consent or whether biometrics will soften up a 
future generation to such technologies "while raising wider questions of 
public attitude and public policy, are not specifically data protection 
issues".
Read the guidance at http://tinyurl.com/ytoqnv
Read the Information Commissioner's statement at http://tinyurl.com/3529e5

        BBC 'File on Four' looks at ID database false matches

On Tuesday(31st July) Radio 4 broadcast a File on Four programme that 
looked at the government's ID scheme and it's use of fingerprint 
technology. In the programme Professor John Daugman, of the University 
of Cambridge, Computer Laboratory, warned that "if you have a database 
of say six million people the false match rate against them will be 
about 1 in 1000 and the true match rate is something like 95%". From 
this point on Daugman said the situation would get progressively worse 
and that the scheme will not deliver the goal of "one citizen one 
identity" as there will be too many false matches. Other academics 
warned that the scheme is ill thought out.
Listen online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/file_on_4/

        Award winning essay looks at the authoritarian state

Journalist Philip Johnston has won the Charles Douglas-Home Memorial 
Trust Award for an essay which looks at the British state's march 
towards totalitarianism. Johnston describes ID cards as "the ultimate 
weapon of state control" and goes on to point out that: "This is 
something that the State qua State, as opposed to an individual minister 
or government, has long sought to introduce. When it comes to softening 
up the country for an ID card, the Home Office has been prepared to play 
a very long game. Officials have presented every home secretary for the 
past 50 years with a proposal for an ID scheme."
Read the essay at 
http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/article2104562.ece

        German anti-surveillance demo called

"Freedom Not Fear" is the slogan of an anti-surveillance demonstration 
to be held in Berlin on 22 September. A coalition of German rights 
organisations, professional bodies and political groups is backing the 
protest, which is mainly against proposals to legalise hidden online 
searches of computer hard disks by the police and to make data retention 
by Internet and telecomms providers compulsory - including by 
anonymisers. This is the fourth anti-surveillance demo to be held in 
Germany since June 2006. The coalition also opposes biometrics and RFID 
in passports and ID cards; CCTV and automated facial recognition in 
public places; automatic number plate recognition on the public highway; 
and the retention of airline passenger data. "The growing electronic 
registration and surveillance of the whole population does not provide 
increased protection against crime," the demo organisers point out, "but 
it does cost millions of euros and it puts innocent people's privacy at 
risk." 
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      "ID" in the news

        Jacqui Smith: The Interview - New Statesman 2/8/07

She may be using a softer language on the big crime and security issues 
of the day but Britain's first female home secretary is pursuing a 
distinctly authoritarian agenda. "There will be an ID card," she says. 
"From 2009 we will be introducing ID cards for UK citizens. From 2008 we 
will introduce what will effectively be an ID card for those who have 
been in the UK for more than six months."
http://www.newstatesman.com/200708020014

        Home Office to roll out biometric technology to UK borders -
        Computer Weekly 1/8/07

The government plans to spend £1.2bn on biometric technology and staff 
to catch illegal immigrants and others undesirables at UK borders. But 
it has postponed a framework procurement programme for a national 
identity card.
http://tinyurl.com/2t8spa

        Hacked passport crashes readers - Boing Boing 31/7/07

A hacker has demonstrated an exploit against the RFID tags in the new US 
passports that allows him to clone a passport and modify the RFID with 
bad code that will crash the passport readers.
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/07/31/hacked_passport_cras.html

        Nurses unsure whether NHS can deliver EPRs - E-Health Insider
        30/7/07

Over half of nurses do not believe or do not know whether the NHS can 
deliver an electronic patient record (EPR) in the foreseeable future, 
according to a new survey from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/nurses_unsure_whether_nhs_can_deliver_eprs

        Millions spent but no cards yet... - silicon.com 30/7/07

During the year ending 31 March 2007, the government spent £30.9m on 
setting up the National Identity Scheme (NIS) - up from the £27.7m 
expenditure in the previous year, according to Home Office figures.
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39167991,00.htm?r=2

        Beware of Mr Brown. He's after your rights - The Observer 29/7/07

He has asked for 56 days' detention without charge and has placed ID 
cards, now referred to as 'ID security' - cleverly linking the cards to 
ideas of personal protection - at the heart of the counter-terrorist 
strategy.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2137112,00.html

        ID card project gets new boss - silicon.com 27/7/07

The national ID card project has a new boss following a reshuffle of 
Home Office ministers. Meg Hillier is the new Parliamentary 
Under-Secretary of State for Identity, with responsibilities that 
include the identity card project, Freedom of Information requests and 
criminal records.
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39167982,00.htm

        Children as young as five to be fingerprinted in schools - Daily
        Mail 23/7/07

Schools have been given the go-ahead to take fingerprints from children 
as young as five - without asking their parents first. Schools can also 
take retina and iris scans and record children's voices, face shapes, 
hand measurements, handwriting and typing patterns.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=470344

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - 
Editor(newsletter at no2id.net) )
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Publication details: © NO2ID 2007 - This document may be freely 
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NO2ID, Box 412, 19-21 Crawford Street, LONDON W1H 1PJ

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