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Supermarket Loyalty Cards Vs National ID Cards

Posted by samzenpus on from the track-everything dept.

john.wingfield writes "The BBC is running a story on a speech David Blunkett, the British Home Secretary, has given on ID cards and supermarket loyalty cards. He criticises the data protection arrangements for the loyalty cards whilst simultaneously (hypocritically?) promoting his own national ID card scheme, which is exempt from the Data Protection Act 1998. See also the UK Information Commissioner's (data protection and freedom of information watchdog) concerns about the ID card scheme."

5 of 480 comments (clear)

  1. The difference between a supermarket loyalty...... by Antony-Kyre · · Score: 3, Informative

    The difference between a supermarket loyalty card and a National ID card is this.

    You can lie about the info on the supermarket loyalty card, by putting a fake phone number, address, whatever, no big deal, and I don't think the supermarket will mind. I think the main purpose of those membership cards is so they know how much stuff someone buys, when, etc., etc., giving them the demographic info so they can better stock stuff and whatnot.

    Right now we have State ID Cards (whether simply identification or drivers' licenses). Even if we did go to National ID Cards, they may not be any different. Let me say this. Under NO circumstances implant those RFID microchips. Cause there's too much fear over the issue of GPS tracking and such. By the way, I think we should just leave it up to the state level. Let us have an United States of American with each state creating their own laws and such, under our federal documents that have worked for us for so long.

  2. Re:It'll go nicely with the cameras by blowdart · · Score: 3, Informative

    You realise that the vast majority of those cameras are privatly owned, right? 2.5 million government cameras is simply wrong.

  3. Re:WTF by arivanov · · Score: 3, Informative
    While I am allergic to blunkettism, I have to admit that his Blunkettness has a valid point. He was not referring to just any card. He was referring to the Nectar. This card has been invented as a specific mean to violate most of the Data Protection and Consumer Protection legislation in the UK. It is not just a store card. Your shopping habits and purchase information are shared by:
    • Nearly half of the insurance brokers in the UK. Yep. No other country has it - verification of your lifestyle by insurers via your shopping habits.
    • British Petroleum. So the insurers can derive information on how you really drive and how much, not what you submitted when applying.
    • Major banks including Barkleys which in total hold 30-40% of the consumer account market.
    • So on so fourth.
    Basically, if you use it you line up all of your life in front of nearly all of the most disgusting marketing and data mining lowlife in the UK. 1984 and Blunkett ideas are pale by comparison.
    --
    Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
    http://www.sigsegv.cx/
  4. What's changed Mr Blunkett? by MartinG · · Score: 4, Informative

    "it is important that we do not pretend that an entitlement card would be an overwhelming factor in combating international terrorism" - David Blunkett 3 July 2002.

    --
    -- MartinG To mail me: echo kewyjlcxyzvjfxbqwh | tr bcefhjklqvwxyz .@adgimnoprstu
  5. Re:False Data by Frankie70 · · Score: 3, Informative

    The first time you use your debit card or credit card with the card, both of them get linked & they have your real details.