[no2id-supporters] NO2ID Newsletter No.130

Thu Aug 27 17:19:20 BST 2009

This newsletter can be read online at shortly at
http://newsletters.mu.no2id.net

     ++ NO2ID Supporters' Newsletter No. 130 - 27th August 2009 ++

*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)

       + RECLAIM YOUR DNA +

Conservative MP Damian Green has won his battle to have his DNA removed
from the National DNA Database but, as he himself acknowledged, "...this
is only a first step. I want every innocent person who has been arrested
and whose records are being wrongly held to be treated the same as me."

While a high profile public figure may successfully argue that he is an
"exceptional case", this still leaves hundreds of thousands of people
never charged or convicted of a crime on the database - with thousands
more being added every month. Mr Green's case highlights how arbitrary
and unfair the system is, and reveals how little the government has done
in the nine months since the European Court of Human Rights ruled that
the blanket and indiscriminate retention of the DNA profiles and
fingerprints of innocent people was unlawful.

It's time to take action. If they won't, we must.

Most people simply don't know in what circumstances they can apply to
have their DNA profiles removed, or how. Which is why NO2ID joined
forces with Genewatch UK, Open Rights Group, Liberty and others to build
www.ReclaimYourDNA.org - an advice site that can walk you through the
process and even help you draft the necessary letter. Labour MP Diane
Abbott and lawyers from Liberty will be holding a 'DNA clinic' in
Hackney to provide help and advice to those who want their DNA profiles
removed from the national database.

We desperately need to raise public awareness and keep the pressure on -
the Parliamentary battle will resume this autumn - so please write a
letter to your local paper suggesting that people who are innocent and
want to have their DNA removed use www.ReclaimYourDNA.org - or, if you
are in a city, asking whether something similar to Ms Abbott's 'DNA
clinic' can be done in your area.

With nearly 5 million people on the DNA database, almost 1 million of
them children, you may not be directly affected - but you probably know
someone who is.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       What just happened?

*+ "DNA can be faked" say researchers +

*The UK has the largest per capita DNA database in the world and the
government often stresses the infallibility of DNA evidence to justify
the expansion of the database. But now researchers at forensic DNA
technology company Nucleix say that DNA samples can be faked. They have
demonstrated how artificial DNA could be implanted into real blood
giving the blood a new profile. A modified blood sample was sent to a US
laboratory that works with FBI forensic teams and they failed to catch
the forgery. Interestingly though, Nucleix has come up with the solution
- an authentication method that distinguishes between real and fake
samples. However the mere fact that DNA can be faked may question the
reliance on DNA in criminal cases. US defence attorney Michael Cardoza
told CNN news: "it opens up an entire avenue of cross examination that
was never there before. Can you imagine their expert, the prosecution's
expert on the stand - we will now be able to ask them: 'It's possible to
fabricate DNA?'", adding "it will give a lot of defence attorneys
something to talk about in court, it will make prosecutors work a lot
harder".
Read Nucleix's research at
http://www.nucleix.com/pdf/Authentication_of_forensic_DNA_samples.pdf

*+ 'Politics of Identity' video online +

*A new video on the 'Politics of Identity' by Dr Edgar Whitley of the
London School of Economics has been posted online. In the video Whitely
"questions whether the government's plan to protect us from identity
fraud through its proposed ID card scheme could backfire".
Watch the video at
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/videoAndAudio/research/thePoliticsOfPersonalIdentity.aspx

*+ More travel ID check requirements +

*In newsletter 123 we reported on photo ID requirements to travel to
Orkney by ferry and the government's CONTEST strategy that lays out
plans for "police powers to collect advance passenger data on some
domestic air and sea journeys". A NO2ID supporter wrote this week to
tell us that Advanced Passenger Information (API) is now a requirement
when booking flights with many carriers. "British Airways and Easyjet
now make passengers booking a flight online fill in passport information
(number, date of issue, expiry, nationality, date of birth) with a
threat that failure to do so may mean one cannot fly. This data has to
be given before travelling and before the day of departure. When asked
an Easyjet operative said: 'it is a government/EU requirement'."
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       What's next?

*+ Have your say - National Identity Service Public Panels +*
The UK Identity and Passport Service (UKIPS) is setting up public panels
around the country to get the views of members of the public as they
build the "National Identity Service". The UKIPS website states that
"Independent scrutiny is vital to the success of the National Identity
Service (NIS)". Apparently they want to "put the public at the heart of
our service" and are "committed to making sure that the way we work is
completely transparent and that people, businesses and the Government
know their rights and responsibilities". Public panels will be made up
of 11 members, and will meet for half a day up to three times a year.
The aim is to "produce an Identity Rights Charter. This will set out the
rights and responsibilities people, businesses and the Government have
under the NIS". Recruitment for the first two regional groups (in the
North and South of England) started on 12th August. To join a panel you
can fill in the online form at www.ips.gov.uk/publicpanel or call 020
3356 8174.
More details at http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/1189.htm

*+ CLARIFICATION: Freedom Not Fear Day 12th September +*
Following our listing of this event in the last newsletter some
supporters may have inferred that NO2ID endorses the whole Freedom Not
Fear Day event and that the protest was offered as an 'agenda item' for
supporters rather than a matter of related interest. NO2ID doesn't have
any control over external websites, and certainly not over groups at
further remove, that choose to associate themselves with any third party
protest that might be mentioned in the newsletter. NO2ID certainly has
no links with "Confidential Action" who are listed on the Freedom Not
Fear UK action web page.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       "ID" in the news

*+ UK ID cards will be accepted in Europe - The Inquirer 21/8/09 +*
According to the Home Office, ID cards will be accepted as travel
documents across Europe when they are launched, whenever that is. On
Friday we reported that in an interview with the Oldham Evening
Chronicle the UK's Identity Minister, Lord Brett, said the ID cards
might not be recognised outside the UK by other EU member states.
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1529775/uk-id-cards-useless-europe

*+  Govt on the back foot as scientists replicate DNA - Politics.co.uk
20/8/09 +*
The way Britain undertakes crime scene investigations and the existence
of the DNA database have both come under intense scrutiny following the
news scientists in Israel have successfully replicated DNA samples.
http://www.politics.co.uk/news/legal-and-constitutional/govt-on-the-back-foot-as-scientists-replicate-dna-$1319949.htm

*+ The day I came face to face with our surveillance state - Daily Mail
19/8/09 +*
In 5,000 schools, children are required to give fingerprints to use the
library. And the king of databases will be the national ID card scheme
which, the Government hopes, will eventually hold data for identifying
every one of us.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1206797/VINCE-CABLE-The-day-I-came-faceface-surveillance-state.html

*+ Home Office unlikely to accept ID card cloner's offer of
demonstration - Computer Weekly 19/8/09 +*
The Home Office is unlikely to respond to an invitation to see how a UK
identity card was cracked and cloned. A Home Office spokesman confirmed
it had received an offer from Adam Laurie, an expert in radio frequency
identification (RFID) technology, to demonstrate how he cloned a
government-issued ID card with little more than a mobile phone and a laptop
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/08/19/237378/home-office-unlikely-to-accept-id-card-cloners-offer-of.htm

*+ Gov't says scrapping ID cards won't save it £3bn - ZDNet 14/8/09 +*
The Identity and Passport Service has said that getting rid of ID cards
won't save the taxpayer "£3bn over 10 years" as the costs are to be met
by people who apply for passports and ID cards.
http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10013470o-2000331828b,00.htm

*+ Collar the lot of us! The biometric delusion - The Register 14/8/09 +*
On 29 June 2009, the Identity & Passport Service (IPS) published their
latest paper on the National Identity Service (NIS). According to
Safeguarding Identity, "the vision for the NIS is that it will become an
essential part of everyday life, underpinning interactions and
transactions between individuals, public services and businesses and
supporting people to protect their identity".
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/14/biometric_id_delusion

*+  ID Cards - A government mandated Facebook? - Politics.co.uk 14/8/09 +*
ID cards' main purpose is to make life easier for officials. When all
the fake arguments are cast to one side, you're left with a mandatory,
government-led Facebook account.
http://www.politics.co.uk/feature/legal-and-constitutional/comment-id-cards-a-government-mandated-facebook--$1318955.htm

*+ Two convicted for refusal to decrypt data - The Register 11/8/09 +*
Two people have been successfully prosecuted for refusing to provide
authorities with their encryption keys, resulting in landmark
convictions that may have carried jail sentences of up to five years.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/11/ripa_iii_figures/

*+ High Court shields database state from blame - The Register 5/8/09 +*
An entrepreneur whose fledgling business was ruined by a false entry in
a court database has had his claim for compensation rejected by a High
Court judge. The decision could set a broad and troubling precedent,
because Mr Justice Bill Blair QC - brother of the former PM Tony Blair -
ruled that the civil service cannot be found liable for the damage
caused by its record keeping mistakes.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/05/moj_andre_power/

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter -
Editor(newsletter at no2id.net) )
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS + *

To see if there's a group in your area check our list at
http://www.no2id.net/localgroups/
Or, if you're interested in starting a group yourself, please contact
Matty on local.groups at no2id.net to discuss what's involved and what we
have in place to support coordinators and their groups.

_*+ Alexandra Palace +*_

*+ 9th September - Alexandra Palace NO2ID Monthly Meeting (2nd Wednesday
of month) +*
Wednesday 9th September, 8:15pm at The Gate pub on Station Road (N22
7SS). All welcome. For further details please contact
alexandra.palace at no2id.net

_*+ Brighton +*_
*
+ 22nd September - Brighton NO2ID Meeting (4th Tuesday of month) +*
Tuesday, 22nd September 8:00pm at the Brighton Peace and Environment
Centre (BPEC) opposite Brighton Station.  Our meeting is for one hour
and we will be working to update our leaflets, website, organise our
next public event and more!  We will be at the Battle of Trafalgar in
Guildford Road at 9.00pm for an informal chat afterwards you would prefer.

_*+ Cambridge +*_

*+ 2nd September **- Cambridge NO2ID Pub Meeting (1st Wednesday of month) +*
Cambridge NO2ID's informal pub meetings are on the first Wednesday of
each month. Join us at 7:30pm on Wednesday 2nd September at the
Salisbury Arms, 76 Tenison Rd, Cambridge CB1 2DW
(http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/CYXNES29). For more details contact
cambridge at no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on 07710 469624.

*+ 10th September - Cambridge Amnesty ID cards talk +*
Thursday, 10th September 7.30pm at Jesus Lane Friends' Meeting House,
Jesus Lane, Cambridge. Cambridge NO2ID members will speak at a Cambridge
Amnesty meeting about the Home Office's ID cards scheme and the Database
State. For more details, see:
http://cambridge.amnesty.org.uk/events_details.asp?CategoryID=1901&EventID=1593

*+ 12th September - Cambridge NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday 22nd August, in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall
(http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/T5LZATLS) from 11am. Please contact
Andrew on 07710 469624 if you'd like to help.

_*+ Camden and Islington +*_
**
*+ 1st September - Camden & Islington NO2ID Monthly Meeting (1st Tuesday
of month) +*
Camden & Islington NO2ID meet on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 8pm at
The The Kings Head, 59 Essex Road, Islington, N1 2SF. For more info
email camden at no2id.net or join the mailing list at:
(http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.camden).

_*+ Canterbury +*_

To stay up to date join the Canterbury NO2ID mailing list on:
http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.canterbury

_**__*+ Daventry +*_

*+ 9th September - Daventry NO2ID Meeting +*
Wednesday 9th September, 8pm at the Dun Cow, Brook Street, Daventry.
There is no meeting in August.

_*+ Dorking +*_

*+ 9th September - Question Time on Civil Liberties, Ewell +*
Wednesday 9th September, 7:30pm at Bourne Hall, Ewell. In the run up to
our Question Time on Civil Liberties we are looking for people to hand
out leaflets at local railway stations. If you want to get involved,
nothing could be easier. Promotional flyer can be found at
(http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/news-and-events/pdfs/civil-liberties-question-time-poster.pdf).

No Dorking Group get together in September as it is just a week before
our Question Time.

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

*+ Edinburgh Festival Free Fringe show 'Freedom Come, Freedom Go! - Free'*
'Freedom Come, Freedom Go! - Free' is performed by Tom Read, the Norwich
NO2ID Coordinator and part-time stand up comedian. Go to the NO2ID
Edinburgh announce list or the NO2ID Forum
(http://forum.no2id.net/viewtopic.php?t=28844) for more information on
this and two other Fringe shows.

_*+ Epsom +*_

*+ 29th August - Epsom NO2ID Street Stall, Ewell +*
Saturday 29th August, afternoon street stall in Ewell -- come and say hello.
*
**+ 5th September - Epsom NO2ID Street Stall, Epsom +*
Saturday 5th September, street stall in Epsom.

If you can't make it to our street stalls but want to help out, we will
be handing out leaflets to promote our Question Time on Civil Liberties
at Epsom, Ewell East, Ewell West, Sutton and Cheam stations in the week
leading up to the event. Let me know if you can help.

*+ 9th September - Question Time on Civil Liberties, Ewell +*
If you have not yet decided about coming along to NO2ID's Question Time
on Civil Liberties in Bourne Hall, Ewell, check out our promotional
flyer on Liberty's web site
(http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/newsand-events/pdfs/civil-liberties-question-time-poster.pdf). 

See you there.

If anyone wants to get involved in the Epsom area, please email or phone
NO2ID South East Regional Coordinator Geoff Cox on south.east at no2id.net
or call 01306 631377.
**
_*+ Glasgow +*_

*+ 1st September - Glasgow NO2ID Meeting +*
****Glasgow NO2ID meet on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 8pm in Mono.
All welcome. Please contact Geraint for further details: glasgow at no2id.net

_*+ Hackney +*_

*+ 5th September - Hackney NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday 5th of September 2009, 12 til 7 at Wennington Green, BOW E3 5TG

_*+ Hammersmith & Fulham +
*_
*+ 29th August - NO2ID Street Stall, Acton +*
Saturday, 29th August 2009, approx 11.00-12:30 outside Morrison's, Acton
High Street.

*+ 20th September - NO2ID Street Stall, Ealing +*
Sunday, 20th September 2009, approx 11.00-12:30 outside the Broadway
Centre, The Broadway.

Maps for both events on www.no2id-handf.org.uk/act.htm, more information
from Brian, hammersmith at no2id.net or 07976-414913.

*+ 24th September - Another 'Database State' Evening +*
Thursday, 24th September - "Tagged, tracked and tailed? - our speakers
explore the claims made for CCTV cameras; the privacy implications of
ANPR and other vehicle tracking technology". Charles Farrier - NO CCTV
campaign; Martin Kicks - Privacy campaigner. All NO2ID colleagues welcome.

More information on www.no2id-handf.org.uk/db240909.htm

_*+ Lancaster +*_

Subscribe to the Lancaster NO2ID e-mail list at
http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.lancaster

_*+ Leicester +*_*

+ 29th August - Leicester NO2ID Leafletting +*
Saturday, 29th August - weather/commitments permitting I may be handing
out leaflets/collecting signatures in town centre.
*
+ 2nd September - Leicester NO2ID Monthly Meeting +*
Wednesday, 2nd September at 8pm in the Blues on Uplands/Severn Road, Oadby.

_*+ Manchester +*_

ID cards are to be introduced in Manchester this autumn. Recent spin
from the Home Office has convinced people that the National Identity
Scheme has been cancelled, that it isn't a threat and it's voluntary.
It's more important than ever to get the word out about the Database State.

_*+ Newcastle +*_*

+ 8th September - Newcastle NO2ID Meeting +*
Tuesday 8th September, 7:30pm at the Jazz Cafe in Pink Lane, (opposite
Newcastle Central Station). Provisional items on the agenda:- Progress
on Film Show, biometrics in schools result of FoI request, Manchester
event info, production of information flyers, talk "ID Cards and
repression - An Historical Overview".
**
_*+ Newport +
*_
If you are interested in the work of the Newport group, please join
their mailing list on: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.newport
*
*_*+ Norwich +*_

*+ 1st-29th August - Photo-ID Exhibition +*
1st-29th August, 7am-midnight, Norwich City Centre. Identity is a fluid
and complex set of overlapping and sometimes contradictory properties
and assertions. The complexity of personal and social identity will be
explored in Photo-ID, a major exhibition in Norwich City Centre centred
around The Forum throughout August 2009. Free. For more info see:
www.photo-id.org.uk

*+ 12th September - Street Stall on Freedom Not Fear Day +*
On Saturday 15th September it's the Norwich NO2ID street stall from
1pm-3pm at The Haymarket, Gentleman's Walk, so please come along for ID
card and database-related antics. Fresher or seasoned protester, anyone
welcome to say no to Big Bro! People are still frighteningly unaware
about what the government is doing, so it's up to us to tell them. See
you there!

*+ 15th September - Norwich NO2ID Group Meeting +*
Our next meeting is Tuesday 15th September at The Workshop (opposite The
Black Horse), 53 Earlham Road, NR2 3AD at 7.30pm-9pm. Discuss the
intrusive ID card scheme, the numerous, highly expensive government
databases and ways of holding them back.

If you are interested in the work of the Norwich group, please join
their mailing list on: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.norwich

_*+ Oxford +*_

*+ 29th August - Oxford NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday, 29th August in Cornmarket Street - we usually meet by St
Michael's tower and we'll be there from 11am for a couple of hours.
Let's hope for some better weather than the soggy stall at the start of
August!

*+ 3rd September - NO2ID Oxford monthly pub meeting (first Thursday of
month) +*
3rd September at the Mitre on the High Street from 8pm for an hour or so
for a chat and to discuss the campaign. All welcome.

See the website for more: http://no2id-oxford.org.uk/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can change how you receive our newsletter, or cancel it, by using
the form at the bottom of this page:

http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id-supporters

If you have any problems, please send an e-mail to listmaster at no2id.net
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Publication details: © NO2ID 2009 - 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.

NO2ID, Box 412, 19-21 Crawford Street, LONDON W1H 1PJ