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Could identity systems save the world? |
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EPG Blog moves to Computer Weekly |
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Thursday, 07 February 2008 |
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[Toby Stevens] We're delighted to announce the launch of a new blog in leading trade publication Computer Weekly . The Privacy, Identity and Consent Blog will explore public trust and confidence in personal data management, and provide a commentary on the political, technical and philosophical issues that drive the privacy agenda. (These views are the author's own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Enterprise Privacy Group's Member organisations)  No Comments | Views: 468
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Australian Government Abandons Access Card |
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Sunday, 23 December 2007 |
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[Toby Stevens] The Australian Government has abandoned plans for the controversial Access Card . The federal Government has shut down the Office of the Access Card and closed its website, honouring its election promise to scrap the controversial program. Comments (1) | Views: 573 |
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DVLA Loses Details of 3m Drivers |
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Monday, 17 December 2007 |
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[Toby Stevens] The Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency has admitted the loss of 3m drivers' details . Whilst the data itself is claimed to not be as sensitive as that lost in the HMRC incident, it is certainly another humiliating blow for public confidence in government processing of personal information. With the HMRC incident, the real issue was why were the unencrypted CDs allowed to exist in the first place? In this case, the question that springs to mind is what were the details of 3m British drivers doing on a hard disc in a facility in Iowa? And had any form of risk assessment been conducted at all? I guess this will provide yet more work for the O'Donnell/Thomas/Walport reviews... (These views are the author's own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Enterprise Privacy Group's Member organisations) No Comments | Views: 1003 |
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HMRC Values Public Data at £20,000 |
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Wednesday, 05 December 2007 |
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[Toby Stevens] HMRC has offered staff a £20,000 reward for finding and returning the missing child benefit data discs. One wonders who is advising them on how to handle this situation; whilst the bounty is there to motivate staff to have another look, it's an insult to the data subjects who have been affected, and shows a spectacular lack of consideration for public opinion. Like many, I believe the CDs have been lost by someone - the idea that organised crime could arrange this seems implausible - but offering a small reward is just daft. Comments (1) | Views: 471 |
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Moving Forward with Public Sector Data |
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Wednesday, 21 November 2007 |
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[Toby Stevens] HM Revenue & Customs, and the public sector at large, are reeling from the revelation that 25m individuals' personal data have been misplaced. But how do we move forward from this incident? And what are the changes that government, industry and civil society should work towards? No Comments | Views: 732 |
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Read more...
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Tuesday, 20 November 2007 |
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[Toby Stevens] HMRC has lost a mountain of personal information - possibly the biggest known loss of personal data in UK history. How did this happen? And what will be the implications of the government's liability statement? No Comments | Views: 2083 |
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Data Protection Awareness on the Increase |
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Thursday, 15 November 2007 |
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[Toby Stevens] According to Kablenet , the UK's population has its highest level yet of data protection awareness. Apparently 87% of individuals know they have the right to correct inaccurate personal information held about them – a 10% increase from three years ago. The survey also shows that 94% of individuals are concerned that organisations are selling their personal details to other organisations without permission. People now consider protecting their personal information as the second most socially important issue above the NHS, national security and environmental issues. I'm delighted that this awareness is on the rise, although I find it hard to believe that 87% of the population know they can correct data inaccuracies.I'd be fascinated to see the demographic and survey method. No Comments | Views: 296 |
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How many identities do I have? |
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Thursday, 15 November 2007 |
[Toby Stevens] I only have one identity. That’s me. I know who I am. You can’t steal it from me.
But I use many personae, and the UK, like many ‘western’ nations, is built upon pseudonymity. For example, I have about a dozen pieces of plastic in my wallet. There is no direct link between the Toby that holds a Visa card and the T Stevens that holds an Amex. When I apply for a new financial product, the provider has to rely on the likes of Experian and Equifax to derive confidence about whether those are the same individual.
For three years I lived in Hong Kong, where it is impossible to obtain a financial product without first presenting a local ID card. It’s a very easy environment to live in; no running around with utility bills, passports etc to prove your entitlement, you just whip out the single card. Oh, but you can be jailed for bad debts. In this environment it is very hard to have multiple personae - is this ‘mononymity’?
The disturbing tension surrounding the UK’s National Identification Scheme (NIS) is that of citizens, who are accustomed to pseudonymity, coming into conflict with government that could clearly deliver transformational services and national security so much more easily if pseudonymity is removed. The NIS removes pseudonymity from the citizen’s relationship with government.
However, industry is less sure of the benefits. There is a significant vested interest in pseudonymisation: credit reference agencies exist because of it, financial providers can use it to justify product APRs and branding of the cards in your wallet, and a whole industry of information brokerage is springing up around pseudonymisation services.
Ironically, there is a convergence between the NIS’ objectives and those of the naysayers that could easily be achieved if the debate were to return to the roots of identity. A trusted identity, underwritten by the state, could be used to deliver pseudonymity and anonymity services in the commercial sector - you don’t need to know who I am if the government can find me when things go wrong. Credit cards could have no name or number on the face of them; I could use different names at work and at home; I could refuse to tell a bank who I am when I open an account.
So, back to the question: how many identities do I have? One. How many should I have? One. How should I be able to use and express that identity? In an unlimited number of ways - or not at all.No Comments | Views: 343 |
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