NO2ID News No. 76

19 July 2007

I SPY AN INTERROGATION CENTRE...

Thanks to the diligent efforts of NO2ID supporters across the UK, we have now managed to identify the street addresses of all but nine of the 69 proposed ID interrogation centres [see http://www.no2id.net/getInvolved/idCentres.php].

We still need details for Armagh, Boston, Dumfries, Exeter, Kilmarnock, King's Lynn, Omagh, St Austall and Swindon - though the Home Office admits it has yet to find suitable premises in at least one of these remaining locations. To date only three or four centres appear to be open for business - Peterborough, Glasgow, Belfast and one other in the North of England. Once open, anyone within a centre's catchment area who applies for their first adult passport MAY be called for interview. You will be notified by post shortly after submiting your application form. Not everyone will be required to attend so - for existing passport holders and those near centres yet to open - there is still time to *renew* your passport without being subject to the new regime.

We are eager to speak with anyone who has been called in for an official grilling, and to gather as much information on the current status of each interrogation centre. Please send an e-mail to passports@no2id.net if you can provide any of the following:

If you are applying for your first adult passport and receive notification that you must attend for interview, or have already been interviewed.
An exterior photograph of your nearest interrogation centre - check the address on the NO2ID website (link above).
Evidence that a centre is open for business, e.g. reports in your local papers, confirmation from staff at the premises.
Details of any of the remaining nine centres.

We anticipate a further ramp-up after the summer, so please keep checking even if there are no immediate signs of activity at your nearest centre.

What's next?

Local groups news

We have local groups all over the country and in 36 of the 69 locations of ID interrogation centres (see www.no2id.net/getInvolved/idCentres.php). If you can help to set up a local group in one of the remaining towns then please contact us at (office@no2id.net). A full list of local groups can be found at www.no2id.net/localGroups

Kensington and Chelsea NO2ID mugs

Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID once again have some mugs sporting the NO2ID logo. The mugs are available by mail order for just £7 or £4 in person with a reduction for bulk purchases i.e. (4 or more) to £3. Contact kensington@no2id.net for more details of how to order.

Manchester NO2ID calls for "Students against ID" volunteers

Manchester NO2ID are still looking for people interested in helping with a Students Against ID society in the next academic year. If you're at all interested, whether you'd be prepared to shoulder the responsibility yourself or just help someone else out, please drop an e-mail to manchester@no2id.net

Still showing - "Taking Liberties" documentary film featuring NO2ID at cinemas around the country

The documentary which features NO2ID is still showing at cinemas across the UK. The film is described as "a shocking but hilarious polemic documentary that charts the destruction of all your Basic Liberties under 10 Years of New Labour". More info at http://www.noliberties.com/cinema.htm

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh street stall

Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John(edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

Most Saturdays 2pm - NO2ID Glasgow Street Stall

Most Saturdays there are stalls in Glasgow city centre (usually Buchanan Street) from about 2pm. Volunteers are always welcome, please contact Geraint if you would like to help: glasgow@no2id.net.

22nd July - NO2ID "V for Vendetta" Film Night, Manchester

Sunday, 22nd July 7pm-10pm: Manchester NO2ID will be sponsoring a special movie night of dystopian thriller V for Vendetta at the FAB caf� on Portland Street. Come along for some relaxation and entertainment.

23rd & 24th July Leicester NO2ID Leafleting at 'Taking Liberties'

Monday, 23rd July 8.45pm and Tuesday, 24th July 6.05pm at the Phoenix Theatre - Leicester NO2ID will be handing out leaflets and, hopefully, getting signatures on our petition before the showing of 'Taking Liberties'. We'll also also be holding a meeting after the show on Tuesday 24th July.

24th July - Leicester NO2ID meeting (normally last Thursday of every month)

Tuesday, 24th July in the Phoenix Theatre's bar after their showing of "Taking Liberties". After July Leicester NO2ID will be holding meetings on the last Thursday of every month at 7.35pm at The Blues pub on Severn Road in Oadby.

24th July - Glasgow NO2ID Meeting

Tuesday 24th July, usual place, usual time: 8pm at Mono (Map: http://www.glasgow-no2id.org.uk/meeting.html) our fortnightly meeting, all welcome!

26th July - Glasgow NO2ID, music at Barfly

Thursday, 26th July: "NO2ID presents ...", music at Barfly, 260 Clyde Street, Glasgow. Doors open at 8pm, Age 18+ only. Tickets: £5 in advance. £6 on the door. Rock your socks off to the metal downstairs: Mama Mayhem + Serpico + Marshan + Stones Throw, or chill and relax upstairs to the acoustic sounds of: Phil Rasmussen, Warped Memories, Traquair with MC: Freestyle Master. For more details see See www.barflyclub.com/glasgow/whatson/event/11431.aspx

27th July - Manchester NO2ID flyering 'Taking Liberties' Premiere

Friday, 27th July we will be flyering and taking petition signatures at the Cornerhouse Cinema, Oxford Road at the Manchester premiere of the new documentary film 'Taking Liberties'. We will aim to flyer the 6:15pm showing, and both flyer and attend the 8:30pm showing.

2nd August - Manchester NO2ID Taking Liberties Introduced Screening

Thursday, 2nd August Dave Page from Manchester NO2ID will be introducing the documentary Taking Liberties at the Cornerhouse Cinema and holding a Q&A session in the upstairs bar afterwards.

What just happened?

New Government legislative programme: a blueprint for data-sharing

Last week Gordon Brown revealed the government's Draft Legislative Programme for the next session of Parliament. The plans, entitled 'The Governance of Britain,' are peppered with proposals for increased data sharing. The forthcoming Counter Terrorism Bill "...will help the investigation of terrorism by ensuring the police and intelligence and security agencies have access to all the information they need by providing data sharing powers and making full use of DNA". The Education and Skills Bill will include: "Subject to policy clearance, provisions to enable data sharing, particularly with HM Revenue and Customs and Department for Work and Pensions, to help report on whether the system as a whole is delivering economically valuable skills". And outlining of the Sale of Student Loans bill it states: "to take data sharing powers so that information on the loans held by HM Revenue & Customs can be disclosed to the purchaser." An open admission of the government's intention to abolish privacy.
The document can be found at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/publications/reports/governance/governance.pdf

Government respond to child fingerprinting petition

This week the government published its response to an e-petition against fingerprinting without parental consent. The petition which was on the Number 10 website attracted 670 signatures. In its response the government claims that biometric systems used for school libraries, lunches and registration "help make school management systems run more smoothly" because of "their advantages over other systems such as smart cards". They don't however explain what's wrong with a library card, dinner money and a register.
Read the response at http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page12460.asp

Signatures galore for Southwark NO2ID

Over the last two weeks Southwark NO2ID have been busily collecting signatures for the NO2ID petition. On 7th July at Southwark Park's Tour De France event they collected 165 signatures. Local Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes even put in an appearance and was photographed behind the stall! Then on the 15th July the group battled the inclement weather and collected 250 signatures at the Rise event at Finsbury Park. The group would like to thank everyone that mucked in at both events and helped them achieve their total - special mention at the Tour De France event to Richard for erecting the Gazebo, Anita from Camden and Margot (who came at 8.30 and worked in the dark and must have collected 50 signatures all on her own!)

'Tagged, Tracked, Taxed'

One of NO2ID's affiliates, the Association of British Drivers(ABD), has launched a prominent poster campaign against congestion charging in Manchester. The posters highlight the surveillance and database state issues surrounding road charging schemes that have been particularly highlighted this week with the Home Office's admission that the Police will have access to vehicle tracking data(see 'ID in the News' section below). ABD recently worked with NO2ID to put the arguments against ID cards to readers of motoring publications, and therefore maximise our reach. The ABD have set up a campaign website at www.manchestertolltax.com. Their 'Tagged, Tracked, Taxed' posters have also received coverage in the Manchester Evening News.

Essay looks at the ubiquitous retort "Nothing to hide, nothing to fear"

Professor Daniel J. Solove, an associate professor of law at the George Washington University Law School, has published an essay entitled '"I've Got Nothing to Hide" and Other Misunderstandings of Privacy'. Solove deconstructs the well worn phrase and points out that "the problem with the nothing to hide argument is with its underlying assumption that privacy is about hiding bad things. Agreeing with this assumption concedes far too much ground and leads to an unproductive discussion of information people would likely want or not want to hide".
The essay can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/35g96j

A question of identity

Whitehall & Westminster World carries an extended interview with James Hall, chief executive of the Identity and Passport Service, in which he talks about the ID card scheme.
http://www.no2id.net/news/newsblog/?p=643

Privacy core to ID success, ICO warns

Government needs to make privacy and data protection principles a core component of its IT specifications, according to the assistant information commissioner.
http://www.no2id.net/news/newsblog/?p=642

"ID" in the news

Britain and Ireland call for EU data sharing - ZDNet 18/7/07

Prime minister Gordon Brown met his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern on 16 July - they agreed to share data taken from biometric visas and said they would urge all 27 EU states to follow suit.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39288092,00.htm

'Big Brother' plan for police to use new road cameras - The Guardian 18/7/07

"Big Brother" plans to automatically hand the police details of the daily journeys of millions of motorists tracked by road pricing cameras across the country were inadvertently disclosed by the Home Office last night.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,2128878,00.html

Brown urges EU-wide cooperation - The Guardian 16/7/07

Neither the UK nor Ireland are members of the EU's Schengen border-controls agreement. They are due to be excluded from information-sharing on biometric visas when they come into force within the EU in 2009. "Both of us accept that there must be greater cooperation," Mr Brown said: "the sharing of information about biometric visas with those countries that are part of the Schengen agreement, the sharing of information about alerts about people who are suspected of terrorist activities."
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,2127509,00.html

EU: European Commission to propose EU PNR travel surveillance system - Statewatch 15/7/07

Before considering yet another level of travel surveillance it is important to re-cap on what is already in place or is planned in the EU. First, there is VIS (Visa Information System). Second, the planned SIS II. Third, there is the EU API system. The link made by Mr Frattini between the attempted attacks in London and Glasgow and the need to copy the US PNR system is not at all clear.
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2007/jul/03eu-pnr.htm

Government outlines ID-card security measures - Computer Weekly 13/7/07

The government outlined measures it will take to ensure the privacy of ID-card holders at a Westminster eForum seminar on Thursday. Stephen Harrison, director of policy, identity and the passport service, said biographical and biometric data would be stored on two separate IT systems to ensure maximum security.
http://tinyurl.com/3yyz6t

Heathrow to introduce fingerprint checks - The Times 12/7/07

BA domestic passengers are to become the first in Britain to have their fingerprint taken as a matter of routine
http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/article2066498.ece

Road with 100 cameras is plagued by crime - The Telegraph 12/7/07

A crime-ridden high street in north London has been branded the most spied-upon road in Britain, after it emerged that it is watched over by more than 100 closed circuit television cameras.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/11/ncctv111.xml

ID card scrutiny under threat - ZDNet 12/7/07

Parliamentary scrutiny of ID cards and other technological and scientific issues could be seriously undermined by the new administration's reorganisation of governmental departments, according to members of a crucial committee.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39287999,00.htm

Granger says he is 'ashamed' of some systems provided - e-Health Insider 10/7/07

The departing head of the NHS IT programme Richard Granger has said he is ashamed of the quality of some of the systems put into the NHS by Connecting for Health suppliers, singling Cerner out for criticism.
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/item.cfm?ID=2854

DH denies report that NPfIT is to be shelved - e-Health Insider 9/7/07

Suggestions in a weekend newspaper that the NHS is to shelve the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) have been strongly denied by the Department of Health (DH) today. According to the News of the World, NHS chiefs have agreed to shelve the programme after admitting it was an expensive failure.
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/item.cfm?ID=2851

Publication details: © NO2ID 2010 - This document may be freely redistributed in one-to-one communications or physical copies as long as it is reproduced in its entirety including this notice. It may not be mass-mailed without the prior permission of NO2ID.
Newsletter Archive