Alarm over UK data-sharing on citizens

Alarm over network to share data on all citizens

By JAMES CHAPMAN

Last updated at 14:07pm on 15th January 2007

Ministers today provoked claims they were creating a "Big Brother state" 
as they announced plans for a network of personal records.

The Government wants to set up a single system in Whitehall that would 
allow information on every citizen in the country to be shared by departments.

The scheme, endorsed by Tony Blair, is aimed at improving the efficiency of
public services. It would mean individuals would only have to give their 
details once rather than repeat them to dozens of agencies.

He said today the proposal was a "perfectly sensible thing" that
had been "misconstrued".

"The purpose of this is not to create a new piece of technology at all or 
a new database. This is about sharing data in a sensible way so that the 
customer gets a better public service," he said.

But opposition MPs and civil rights groups said it would amount to a 
"snooper's charter". Among the information that could be held would be 
details from the land registry, Inland Revenue, the DVLA and on state 
benefits.

[...]

Full article at UK " Daily Mail"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/
news.html?in_article_id=428701&in_page_id=1770

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