Η επιστροφή της συζήτησης καρτών ταυτότητας

Η ενοχλητική απώλεια της βρετανικής κυβέρνησης προσωπικές λεπτομέρειες 25 εκατομμύριο πολιτών» έχει ξανανάψει τη συζήτηση καρτών ταυτότητας

Από Pete Swabey

Ήταν η ο πιό ιδιαίτερα κοινοποιημένη παραβίαση στοιχείων όλου του χρόνου. Και όταν οι λεπτομέρειες της απώλειας από Α.Μ. εισόδημα και τελωνείο (HMRC) προσωπικά στοιχεία 25 εκατομμύριο βρετανικών πολιτών» προέκυψαν Νοεμβρίου 2007, δεν ήταν πολύ πριν από την προσοχή του έθνους που στράφηκε στις κυβερνητικές αμφισβητούμενες προτάσεις για μια εθνική κάρτα ταυτότητας.

Up to 25 million Britons now face worries that their bank details could fall into criminal hands, after two HMRC disks containing their details were lost in the post. So does data loss on that scale demonstrate that the state should not attempt to store large volumes of personal data? Or does it actually demonstrate that citizens need the security that a biometric ID card would bring?

Under the current ID card proposals, the UK Government would store an unprecedented volume of sensitive personal information – and given its reputation on protecting data, those plans need rethinking, insists George Osborne, the shadow Chancellor. The child benefit scandal should be the “final blow” for the national ID card scheme, he says: “They simply cannot be trusted with people’s personal details.”

Conversely, Government officials believe that the mistakes that led to the HMRC’s data breach underscore the need for a national ID system. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith argues that the identity system will make ID fraud harder by enforcing dual authentication of biographic details – similar to those lost by HMRC – with biometric data. The biographic and biometric data will be stored in separate databases. “It is an increased protection even against times when people’s biographic details are actually stolen or lost,” argues Smith.

Many business leaders will recognise the ‘chicken and egg’ dilemma facing the Government. It insists the ID card is central to plans for offering better public services, yet there may be reluctance to hand over additional information when its track record on data protection is seemingly so lamentable.

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