Slashdot Mirror
UK Government Loses 15 Million Private Records
bestweasel writes "The BBC reports that a UK Government department has lost discs with details of 15 million benefit recipients, including names, addresses, date of birth and bank accounts. The head of the department involved, HM Revenue & Customs, has resigned and his resignation 'was accepted because discs had been transported in breach of rules governing data protection' so someone thinks it's not a trivial matter. The Chancellor will try to evade responsibility in the House of Commons at 3.30 GMT.
A similar leak of a 'mere' 15,000 records from the same department happened a month or so ago. At that time, they refused to say 'on security grounds' whether the information was encrypted." We just recently talked about Britain's consideration of legal penalties for situations like this. I imagine this incident will weigh on that decision.
Thank you for your mild derision, I know it must have taken a great deal of self-control, but I stand by my assertion. Child benefit, umemployment benefit, whatever... Why should anyone receive a government benefit for having children?
Before you bring up dependent tax credits in the US, I don't believe in those either. So why do blind people get a credit? Better lobbyists than the deaf people? I guess the morons (clinical use of the word) are just SOL!
Collectivism breeds corruption and incompetence. This whole episode just proves my point.
(Why, yes, I am a Randian Libertarian.)