Right to privacy broken by a quarter of UK's public databases

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:08:38 -0000

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http://www.jrrt.org.uk/uploads/Database%20State.pdf=20

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/mar/23/dna-database-idcards-chil
dren-index=20

A quarter of all the largest public-sector database projects, including
the ID cards register, are fundamentally flawed and clearly breach
European data protection
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/data-protection> and rights laws,
according to a report published today.
Claiming to be the most comprehensive map so far of Britain's "database
state", the report says that 11 of the 46 biggest schemes, including the
national DNA database <http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/dna-database>
and the Contactpoint index of all children in England, should be given a
"red light" and immediately scrapped or redesigned.
The report, Database State
<http://www.jrrt.org.uk/uploads/Database%20State.pdf> by the Joseph
Rowntree Reform Trust, says that more than half of Whitehall's 46
databases and systems have significant problems with privacy
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/privacy> or effectiveness, and could fall
foul of a legal challenge.
Only six of the 46 systems, including those for fingerprinting and TV
licensing, get a "green light" for being effective, proportionate,
necessary and established - with a legal basis to guarantee against
privacy intrusions. But even some of these databases have operational
problems.
A further 29 databases earn an "amber light", meaning they have
significant problems including being possibly illegal, and needing to be
shrunk or split, or be amended to allow individuals the right to opt
out. This group includes the NHS summary care record, the national
childhood obesity database, the national pupil database, and the
automatic number-plate recognition system.
The study is by members of the Foundation for Information Policy
Research, including Ross Anderson, a Cambridge University professor. It
says Britain is now the most invasive surveillance
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/surveillance> state and the worst at
protecting privacy of any western democracy.

Dave.

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ds-children-index"><SPAN LANG=3D"en-gb"><U><FONT COLOR=3D"#0000FF" =
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<P DIR=3DLTR><SPAN LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN><SPAN LANG=3D"en">A quarter of all the largest =
public-sector database projects, including the ID cards register, are =
fundamentally flawed and clearly breach European</SPAN><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"> </SPAN><A =
HREF=3D"http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/data-protection"><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG=3D"en"><FONT =
COLOR=3D"#0000FF">data protection</FONT></SPAN></U><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN><SPAN LANG=3D"en"> =
and rights laws, according to a report published today.</SPAN></P>

<P DIR=3DLTR><SPAN LANG=3D"en">Claiming to be the most comprehensive map =
so far of Britain's &quot;database state&quot;, the report says that 11 =
of the 46 biggest schemes, including the national</SPAN><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"> </SPAN><A =
HREF=3D"http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/dna-database"><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG=3D"en"><FONT =
COLOR=3D"#0000FF">DNA database</FONT></SPAN></U><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN><SPAN LANG=3D"en"> =
and the Contactpoint index of all children in England, should be given a =
&quot;red light&quot; and immediately scrapped or redesigned.</SPAN></P>

<P DIR=3DLTR><SPAN LANG=3D"en">The report,</SPAN><SPAN LANG=3D"en-gb"> =
</SPAN><A =
HREF=3D"http://www.jrrt.org.uk/uploads/Database%20State.pdf"><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG=3D"en"><FONT =
COLOR=3D"#0000FF">Database State</FONT></SPAN></U><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN><SPAN LANG=3D"en"> =
by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, says that more than half of =
Whitehall's 46 databases and systems have significant problems =
with</SPAN><SPAN LANG=3D"en-gb"> </SPAN><A =
HREF=3D"http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/privacy"><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG=3D"en"><FONT =
COLOR=3D"#0000FF">privacy</FONT></SPAN></U><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN><SPAN LANG=3D"en"> =
or effectiveness, and could fall foul of a legal challenge.</SPAN></P>

Only six of the 46 systems, including =
those for fingerprinting and TV licensing, get a &quot;green light&quot; =
for being effective, proportionate, necessary and established - with a =
legal basis to guarantee against privacy intrusions. But even some of =
these databases have operational problems.

A further 29 databases earn an =
&quot;amber light&quot;, meaning they have significant problems =
including being possibly illegal, and needing to be shrunk or split, or =
be amended to allow individuals the right to opt out. This group =
includes the NHS summary care record, the national childhood obesity =
database, the national pupil database, and the automatic number-plate =
recognition system.

The study is by members of the Foundation =
for Information Policy Research, including Ross Anderson, a Cambridge =
University professor. It says Britain is now the most =
invasive <A =
HREF=3D"http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/surveillance">surveillance</A> =
state and the worst at protecting privacy of any western =
democracy.

<P DIR=3DLTR><SPAN LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN><SPAN =
LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN></P>

<P DIR=3DLTR><SPAN LANG=3D"en-gb"><FONT =
FACE=3D"Calibri">Dave.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG=3D"en-gb"></SPAN></P>

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