The UK's Total Surveillance

Budenny writes "The Register has a story in its ongoing coverage of the UK ID Card story. This one suggests, with links to a weekend news story, that the Prime Minister in waiting has bought the idea that all electronic transactions in the UK should be linked to a central government/police database. Every cash withdrawal, every credit card purchase, ever loyalty card use ... And that data should flow back from the police database to (eg) a loyalty card use. So, for example, not only would the government know what books you were buying, but the bookstore would also know if you had an outstanding speeding ticket!"

Comments

short film on getting pizza under surveillance

[vinsci]

Watch Ordering pizza (turn on your speakers!)

Although this film was made in response the the U.S. Information Awareness Office program, it is equally relevant here.

Re:Terrorists

[1u3hr]

Interesting to see a definition from Webster's 1913 edition:

Terrorism, n. [Cf. F. terrorisme.] The act of terrorizing, or state of being terrorized; a mode of government by terror or intimidation. Jefferson.

So after a couple of centuries we're back at the original definition.

Re:I was afraid for a moment.

[TobascoKid]

The Brits are getting better and better at these kind of projects

Any IT success with the congestion charge is more an exception than the rule.For example, IT in the NHS has been, in general, a disaster.

With UK government IT, if it doesn't generate income for the government it's pretty much garunteed to be a costly failure - and when it is revenue generating, they still have a habit of failure.