Wednesday, July 12, 2006
So much for Data Protection, then.
It appears the DVLA made nearly £6.5 million last year by selling driver's addresses for £2.50 each.
That's about 2.5 million people whose personal contact data was sold to commercial organisations without the knowledge or permisson of the citizens (?) involved.
It appears that anyone with a "valid" reason can request personal contact details by quoting a vehicle numberplate. So far, more than 160 UK companies from clampers to credit agencies have been authorised for multiple applications for personal data.
Apparently the DVLA do not check the requester's credentials; they happily sell data for dosh! At least one clamping company, whose two directors were actually serving prison sentences for fraud ,were still able to collect personal contact data.
That's it then, game over. We citizens are just cash cows to our Govt.
No doubt we can expect much the same from the ID card scheme when it is up and running.
So then we are both mugs and cash cows since we have to pay for the "privilege" of a compulsory ID registration scheme - and then expect our personal data to be sold to any Tom Associates, Dick Brothers or Harry Ltd companies who request our personal data.
Although, on current reporting, the ID card scheme has just hit the buffers, since politicians cannot agree on a detailed specification on which tender documents can be drawn up.
Expect Tony Blair to order compulsory tattooing from 2008 instead.
Me jaundiced ? Nooooooo.
Technorati Tags: Data, ID+card, DVLA, ID+scheme, cash+cow, Data+Protection, Personal+data, driver+addresses,
That's about 2.5 million people whose personal contact data was sold to commercial organisations without the knowledge or permisson of the citizens (?) involved.
It appears that anyone with a "valid" reason can request personal contact details by quoting a vehicle numberplate. So far, more than 160 UK companies from clampers to credit agencies have been authorised for multiple applications for personal data.
Apparently the DVLA do not check the requester's credentials; they happily sell data for dosh! At least one clamping company, whose two directors were actually serving prison sentences for fraud ,were still able to collect personal contact data.
That's it then, game over. We citizens are just cash cows to our Govt.
No doubt we can expect much the same from the ID card scheme when it is up and running.
So then we are both mugs and cash cows since we have to pay for the "privilege" of a compulsory ID registration scheme - and then expect our personal data to be sold to any Tom Associates, Dick Brothers or Harry Ltd companies who request our personal data.
Although, on current reporting, the ID card scheme has just hit the buffers, since politicians cannot agree on a detailed specification on which tender documents can be drawn up.
Expect Tony Blair to order compulsory tattooing from 2008 instead.
Me jaundiced ? Nooooooo.
Technorati Tags: Data, ID+card, DVLA, ID+scheme, cash+cow, Data+Protection, Personal+data, driver+addresses,
