BBC News Online: 'Snoop' plans put on hold

[Ian Brown]

> > Stupid, and dishonest. How dare they take it on themselves to disclose
> > clearly confidential information without consent or judicial warrant.
> > Their duty is to their customers, just as a bank's or a doctor's is.
> >
> First, banks actually have a duty to report to the government any
> suspicious transactions.  It's part of the war-on-drugs/money laundering
> stuff.

I found it amusing/alarming when a major high street bank insisted that I
transferred a reasonable sum of money between two accounts in chunks of
?5,000, presumably to reduce the costs of complying with reporting
requirements...

As much as I agree with David's sentiments, remember also that the Health
and Social Care Act 2001 imposes a duty on NHS and private doctors to hand
over your medical records without consent when required to under an Order
from the Secretary of State (eg to cancer registries).
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2001/10015--g.htm#60