WRITTEN ON December 6th, 2004 BY Richard S AND STORED IN Ideal Goverment - project

While writing a Christmas “thank you” letter to folk in the Employers Compliance section of the Inland Revenue, I was interrupted by a very 1970s transaction: A data entry clerk phoned to check some information on a handwritten form.

This raised several topical questions…

The pleasant person phoning was punching personal data for the private company that insures my credit cards against loss. She was struggling with the mass of amendments to my card details and with the mismatch between my expectations and the service actually provided by that company.

Back in the 1970s I had ONE credit card and ONE bank account. Savings and Building Society accounts used passbooks. For most transactions I had to visit (9.30 to 3.30 Monday – Friday) the bank branch, normally my own branch. As a precaution, I insured the credit card against loss or criminal misuse. At that time, most of my work, transactions and life were confined to a fairly small geographical area and fitted within normal office hours. My simple data could be stored easily on the insurance company’s database and seldom changed.

Today I have many plastic cards, bank accounts, Internet accounts and other precious information. I expect to operate world wide and 24/7. Thanks to silly marketing incentives, my accounts and details change regularly. However, if the worst should happen I need quickly to freeze my accounts to limit theft. Similarly should I disappear under a London bus, I would want my relatives, rather than the banks, to locate and benefit from my accounts.

Unfortunately this insurance company is stuck in the 1970s. It is interested only in credit cards.

The Questions etc.

No! In spite of my open relationship with the IR and government, I do not want my financial details stored on the “Blunkett” ID database or card.

1. This private specialist insurance company has not kept up with modern needs. Can we reasonably expect faster response from vast government organizations?
2. Where can we store this sensitive data conveniently and securely?
3. Our important personal data now changes rapidly. How best can it be kept up to date?
4. Should we expect on-line access so that we can check and update this data ourselves, or is that too much of a security risk?
5. With all the spam, phishing and now the false telephone calls, how can individuals verify that they are communicating with a genuine authorized person before passing sensitive information. The “Blunkett” ID card would help only “the State” to identify people. It would not help individuals to identify authorized people.

Notes.
* Amongst recent phone calls, one demanded to know my details and claimed that I “had won a trip to Florida.” Another call claimed to be from my bank and immediately demanded my security details. The first call was probably a scam, the second call was genuine but was trying to sell me insurance! My subsequent complaint to the bank has been rejected.

* Many of the people who have the most contact with government, necessarily lead the least settled lives. Addresses, phone numbers (especially for pre-paid mobiles) and even names change regularly. Any practical ID or contact database would have to track these changes.