Giving Guns to Psychopaths: the case against joined-up government

SSIT4, e-government, Tuesday 23 March 2004, 9.30 - 10am.

Simon Davies, Visiting Fellow, LSE and Privacy International

Abstract

Government is becoming pathologically fixated on data-sharing. Motivated by risk aversion, communitarian ideology and the prospect of cost savings, entire areas of the public sector are moving toward a joined-up framework.

With proposals already adopted for data centralisation and the transfer of data control to the secretaries of state, the current administration has made it clear that data should be made available on demand to whoever needs it. The health sector, the police service and schools are areas that have recently adopted such an approach. Meanwhile, Parliament will continue to authorise matching programmes between departments. The twin national identity proposals by the Home Office and the Office of National Statistics will provide the administrative basis for such measures.

This presentation outlines the dangers inherent in this approach. It describes the threats to security, autonomy and private life, and discusses the potential for violation of the laws and conventions on human rights.

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