Forms of identity (Was RE: Open versus closed PKI systems)

[Q G Campbell]

> From: Julian T. J. Midgley [mailto:jtjm@xenoclast.org]
> Sent: 17 May 2001 13:35
[snip]
> In any event, most passport checks on leaving this country
> amount to nothing more than the quickest of inspections, and=20
> no details of the passport are actually noted down, so it's=20
> not as though they are even gathering information on your movements.

Not so, at least with regard to travel between the UK and Ireland (*).=20

What evidence do you have that your movements are not being logged when
traveling to/from other destinations?=20

In order to board flights from outside of the EU to the UK, the airline
will normally require sight of your passport and a valid entry visa if
you are not travelling on a UK/EU passport. So the aircraft passenger
list potentially contains a lot of information that can be processed at
leisure by Immigration, etc.

Both Immigration and Customs checks in the UK appear to be intellignce
lead; they will usually know before the vessel (plane/boat) is
disembarked who they will stop at the respective barriers. Otherwise
they will identify likely targets from surveillance cameras and
observation points in and around the baggage collection areas. I would
guess that too many people travel to/from the UK to try other than
targeted checks and searches.


(*) At Newcastle Airport you had to give your name to a lady
    standing at the door into the departure lounge allocated to
    flights to Dublin. A SB branch man was lounging against the
    wall opposite listening as your name was checked-off. I assume
    there was also a surveillance camera and mike recording this
    "identity parade" for posterity.

    You then had your ticket run through the machine in the normal
    way as you queued to board the flight.

 =20

Quentin =20