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 UK Parliamentary Committee Releases Report
Damning ID System
In a report released
today, the Home Afffairs Committee concludes that objections should not
be lightly dismissed and that the proposed scheme to introduce biometric identity
cards
will 'represent a significant change in the relationships between the state
and the individual in this country.' See press coverage: Daily
Telegraph reports "MPs scathing over plans for national ID cards",
while the
FT reports that 'Cost of ID cards 'could spiral higher'', the
Guardian notes that 'MPs say the case is made, but call for proper scrutiny',
and the BBC
reports 'ID card plans 'badly thought out''.
 PI Holds 2004 UK
Big Brother Awards
Privacy International held its 6th Annual UK Big Brother Awards on 28 July
2004 at the London School of Economics. Winners were the Minister for Children
Margaret
Hodge, the NHS National Programme for Information Technology, the
US Visit Visa Program and British Gas. Visit
the BBA
UK 2004 pages to see more details on the winners. Video of
the awards ceremony.
Privacy Commissioners call for immediate changes to data
transfers
The EU Article 29 Working Party that oversees the implementation of the EU privacy
directive has released its opinion on
the current state of affairs regarding the transfer of passenger data from EU
airlines to the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security. It calls for some immediate 'essential' changes
to the current practices to minimize the encroachments on passengers' rights. Surprisingly,
the report has strong language regarding the Commission's failure to adhere
to the Working Party's guidance, but the call
for action is very weak. The agreement between the European Commission and
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security fails on many data protection
grounds, and
is a clear case of backroom politics, that the European Parliament is trying
to rectify. That the Working Party chose to respond in this manner is disappointing.
US Computer Profiling of Passengers is 'dead'
According to USA Today on July 15,
Tom Ridge, the Secretary of Homeland Security, has announced the demise of
the controversial Computer-Assisted Passenger Pre-screening system, otherwise
known as CAPPS II. Citing privacy concerns, the article says that when asked
if the programme can be considered dead, "Ridge jokingly gestured as if he were driving a stake through its heart and said, "Yes." According
to Barry Steinhardt of the American Civil Liberties Union, its failure was
inevitable due to privacy and technological problems. Until the situation clears however, no one is quite celebrating. The voluntary
registered traveller programme still involves invasive data use, and PNR transfers
are still going to be used by the Department of Homeland Security for immigration
and customs purposes. Extensive profiles of travellers arrival and departures
may still be kept by systems in DHS for up to 75 years and in some circumstances
100 years.
Blair's ID card trashed at public meeting
A public meeting organised by PI and associate organisations gave a resounding vote of no-confidence in the government's plan to introduce a national Identity Card. Leading politicians, lawyers, regulators, security experts and civil libertarians were unanimous in condemning the proposals. The president of the Law Society, representing 116,000 solicitors throughout the UK, also warned in his statement that the government's draft legislation contained dangerous provisions. For media coverage, see the articles from Silicon.com, BBC, and the Guardian.
PI Releases New International FOI Survey
Privacy International and Freedominfo.org released an updated version of the "Freedom
of Information and Access to Government Records Around the World" report
on 13 May. The survey now reviews FOI, state secrets, environmental, archives
and other access laws and their implementation in 58 countries. A new global map is
also available.
ID Card Poll reveals deep public anger
A public opinion survey commissioned by PI has shown that millions of people would take to the streets or break the law to fight the UK government's proposed national ID card. The poll also indicates that more than a million people would go to prison rather than register for a card.
A Failure to Negotiate: European Commission Sells Privacy Law to Lowest Bidder
On May 17, 2004 the European Commission approved an agreement to transfer
passenger details to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
an agreement established in the name of, but that has little to
do with, the war on terror. Privacy International has released
a report, Inadequate
Adequacy, to show how badly the Commission 'negotiated' with
the U.S. The true interests of the EU was to gain 'reciprocity'
from the Americans, while establishing a European surveillance
system for general customs and immigration purposes.
PI Releases Study on ID Cards and Terrorism; ID Card Bill
Published
Privacy International has released a new study "Mistaken
Identity: Exploring the Relationship Between National Identity Cards & the
Prevention of Terrorism". The report finds that there
is no evidence that national ID cards reduce terrorism.The Government
has released its draft
bill. PI press
release. See
the
UK
ID
Card
Page for more details.
PI, EPIC Hold
2004 US Big Brother Awards
EPIC and Privacy
International held the 2004 US Big Brother Awards at the Conference
on Computers, Freedom
and Privacy on 21 April. California
Senator Liz Figueroa received a
Brandeis Award for her excellent work to protect and champion privacy. "Most
Invasive Proposal" went to Seisint for its role in creating the Multistate
Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange Program (MATRIX). "Worst Agency" went
to the Transportation Security Administration for its operation of the "No-Fly" lists. "Greatest
Corporate Invader" went to NorthWest Airlines for its provision of passenger
information to the government
PI intensifies pressure on Google's Gmail service
Privacy International has filed a complaint asking
the privacy and data protection commissions in France,Germany, the Netherlands,
Greece, Italy, Spain, Czech
Republic, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Austria,Australia
and Canada along with the European Commission and the EU Commissioners
internal Article 29 Data Protection Working Group to investigate the serious
privacy problems that Google's Gmail service poses.
Useful ways to spend the UK Identity Card budget
Following the Prime
Minister Tony Blair's announcement that
a compulsory national ID card is likely to be introduced swiftly, Privacy
International has published its "Top Ten" list of alternative ways to spend
the £6 billion.
Heading the list is the building of 600 new schools. See our UK
ID card page for more information. (April 2004)
PI calls for UN-level ICAO to cease development of biometric national database standard
Privacy International has released a
letter, in co-operation with the American
Civil Liberties Union in association with over thirty groups world-wide
calling on the UN-level organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization
to cease its activities on developing biometric passports. Privacy International
and the ACLU are worried that this will lead to an increase in the sharing
of personal information across borders, including such data as face-scans
and fingerprints, and even to national ID systems. For background information
on the initiative and the problems with biometric passports, see our policy
library. (March 2004)
PI releases Report on Transfers of Air Passenger Data to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Privacy International has released a report on the transfer of passenger data between the EU and the U.S. The report is the most comprehensive investigation yet published on negotiations between the US Department of Homeland Security and the Commission over the mandatory transfer to the US of files on all EU air passengers. The report shows how the European Commission agreed to U.S. requests for European data in order to create its own European surveillance system to track movement throughout the EU. (February 2004)
More Stories and Private Parts Archive (1996-2003)
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