NO2ID Newsletter RSS http://www.no2id.net/ Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:27:04 +0100 Newsletters of NO2ID - the UK Campagin against ID Cards and the Database State NO2ID Newsletter 101 http://www.no2id.net/news/newsletters/newsletter.php?issue=101 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:01 GMT ++ MAKING CONNECTIONS ++
14 leading figures in the UK aviation industry have spoken out against the ID scheme. In a strongly worded letter to the Home Secretary, they express their "determined opposition" and highlight that enrolment on the National ID Scheme will provide "no additional security" - indeed it risks creating a "false sense of security".

Such vocal opposition represents a serious blow to the government's plans. And it is the sort of resistance that YOU can help NO2ID to spread at all levels, by using connections you already have.

You may be a member of a professional body, a club or association. You may volunteer or support a charity. You may be active in your church, mosque, synagogue or temple. You don't have to be a member of a political party or union. The organisation doesn't have to be national, in fact it's often easier to start local.

What we'd like you to do is simply ask people in the organisation what they know about the National Identity Scheme.

You could write a letter or speak to the leaders, or raise it at your next meeting. Talk to other members of the group. The point is to get people thinking about the scheme. The more people find out, the less they like it - and the more likely they are to do something about it.

Making connections is more important than ever. And you can certainly raise awareness of the ID scheme without being an expert in it. Please ask the question. You may be pleasantly surprised by the response.

What's next?

+ Help wanted +

NO2ID needs a part-time office manager to get on top of its administration (no pay at the moment but we might scrape together some funding for what is a very important role). The right person will be fanatically neat and organised and have experience in an admin role.We are also looking for meticulous people to do data-entry to maintain our membership and supporter records. A couple of hours at a time on a regular basis. Contact general.secretary@no2id.net if you can help

+ Request for volunteers +
NO2ID is looking for someone to run the NO2ID Myspace page. Please email Matty Mitford on local.groups@no2id.net if you think you might be able to help.

5th July – NO2ID at Open Tech
Saturday, 5th July at ULU, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HY. NO2ID will be running a couple of sessions at this event which is an informal one-day conference on technology, society and low-carbon living. Doors open at 10am; the event starts at 10.30am. Tickets are £5 on the door.
See http://www.ukuug.org/events/opentech2008

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

We now have local groups in 44 of the 69 proposed locations for interrogation centres - of which just 3 have yet to open. Parliamentary answers indicate that the most active centres are: Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Peterborough and Sheffield.

For information on your nearest interrogation centre, see www.no2id.net/getInvolved/idCentres.php. If you can help set up a local group in one of the remaining locations, or anywhere else in the UK, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net

+ Aylesbury +

+ 15th July - Inaugural NO2ID Aylesbury Meeting +
Tuesday, 15th July 7.30pm at The Bricklayers Arms : 19 Walton Terrace, Walton Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP21 7QY. Contact: Neil Briscoe at aylesbury@no2id.net

+ Bedford +

+ 12th July - NO2ID Stall at Bedford River Festival +
Bedford NO2ID has been re-established and will be running a stall at the Bedford River Festival on Saturday 12th July. Volunteers to help very welcome - contact Bob Finnie (bedford@no2id.net).

+ Cambridge +

+ 2nd August - NO2ID Cambridge Stall +
Saturday, 2nd August at 10am in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall. Location Map: http://tinyurl.com/eo42r. As ever, volunteers to help very welcome - please email cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on 07710 469624 if you can make it..

+ Camden & Islington +

7th July - Camden & Islington NO2ID Meeting
Monday, 7th July 8pm at The Castle, 54 Pentonville Road. We cover our table with NO2ID flyers. Any enquiries camden@no2id.net

+ Cardiff +

+ Cardiff NO2ID gets new facebook page +
Supporters with a facebook account can now view Cardiff NO2ID's new facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15482803163&ref=ts

+ 4th July - Cardiff NO2ID on 98.7FM +
Friday, 4th July, 12.45pm. One of Cardiff's two coordinators, Michael Richards will be conducting a brief telephone interview with Radio Cardiff (98.7 FM - www.radiocardiff.org) on the subject of our forthcoming benefit gig and the reasons for it, possibly with a Plaid Cymru councillor. You can listen online at (www.radiocardiff.org).

+ 11th July - NO2ID Benefit Gig at KOKO Gorillas Cardiff +
Friday, 11th July at Koko Gorillaz, Miskin Road, Cathays, Cardiff. Sicknote, New State Radio, Cosmo, The Fix Up and Lou Noble will be providing plenty of entertainment in Cardiff's first NO2ID benefit gig. All profits will go to the NO2ID campaign.

+ 16th July - NO2ID Cardiff Meeting +
Wednesday, 16th July 7.30pm Shot in the Dark (City Road), Cardiff. Monthly meeting and planing of future action and events. Email cardiff@no2id.net for more info.

+ Cromer +

+ 7th July - Cromer NO2ID First Meeting +
Monday, 7th July 7:30pm, at The White Horse Inn, West Street, Cromer.Thereafter meetings will be at the same time and venue on the first Monday of the month.

+ Dorking +

Monthly meetings at 7.30pm every first Tuesday of the month at The Lincoln by Dorking main line station. Street stalls once a month in Dorking and once a month in a nearby town. Anyone from Dorking or surrounding towns interested in helping out is very welcome. Please come along or email (dorking@no2id.net).

+ 25th September - Question Time on ID Cards and the Database State +
Details to be confirmed.

+ Edinburgh +

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh street stall
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John (edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

+ Glasgow +

Most Saturdays 2pm - NO2ID Glasgow street stall
Most Saturdays there are stalls in Glasgow city centre (usually Buchanan Street) from about 2pm. Volunteers are always welcome, please contact Geraint if you would like to help: glasgow@no2id.net

+ Kensington and Chelsea +

+ 6th July - Kensington and Chelsea NO2ID Stall +
Sunday, 6th July we will be taking part in the street fair in Hogarth Road, London SW5. Volunteers are needed to help man the stall and talk to people. Please contact Jill Manasseh at kensington@no2id.net if you can help.

+ Leeds +

+ 3rd July - Leeds NO2ID Meeting (1st & 3rd Thursdays of the month) +
Thursday, 3rd July 7pm at the Peanut Gallery at Leeds Student Union building. You can email leeds@no2id.net for directions, or if you have any other questions about the meeting or NO2ID in general. For future reference, we will be holding meetings on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of every month, and street stalls on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays.

+ Liverpool +

+ 8th July - Liverpool NO2ID Meeting +
Tuesday, 8th July 7.30pm at Cooper's Bar, Lime Street Station, Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1JD.

+ Manchester +

+ 4th July - Manchester NO2ID at "Red Friday", Bolton +
Friday, 4th July. Manchester NO2ID Co-Ordinator Dave Page may be speaking at the Bolton socialist discussion group "Red Friday" on identity cards and the Database State.

+ 6th July - Beech Road Festival, Chorlton, Manchester +
Sunday, 6th July from 11am (for noon start). Manchester NO2ID will have a stall at the Beech Road Festival in Chorlton. This lively community festival promises to be fun and friendly, and an ideal opportunity to engage Chorlton residents in a discussion on the database state. We could use a few more volunteers for the stall, so please e-mail manchester@no2id.net or just turn up on the day.

+ 12th July - Manchester NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 12th July 2pm-4pm in St. Ann's Square to raise awareness among the public and engage people in discussion about the National Identity Register. You don't need any experience or equipment, just a bit of time to spare and a friendly smile!

+ 16th July - Manchester NO2ID Monthly Meeting +
Wednesday, 16th July, 7pm in the Town Hall Tavern, Tib Lane, Manchester. Sadly, this venue is not wheelchair-accessible; please contact us on manchester@no2id.net if you have accessibility needs. This month, due to a double booking, we will be meeting in side area just off the main bar rather than in our usual function room.

+ 17th July - - "Freed Up" Poetry Night, Manchester +
Thursday, 17th July, 7pm at the Green Room on Whitworth Street, Manchester. Manchester NO2ID and Freed Up present a night of poetry on the theme of "Identity". Come along and enjoy the poetry, or bring your own contribution.
See http://www.myspace.com/freeduppoets and http://www.greenroomarts.org/

+ Oxford +

+ 6th July - NO2ID Oxford at the Cowley Road Carnival +
Sunday, 6th July from noon. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the government's scheme, but the carnival is 6 hours long so we are definitely going to need some helpers. Please let us know if you can lend a hand (oxford@no2id.net). The day will be split into 3 shifts: 1200-1400, 1400-1600 and 1600-1800. If you have any preference which shift you help on let us know that too.

+ 9th July - NO2ID Oxford Meeting +
Wednesday, 9th July 8pm at the Mitre on the High Street, Oxford.

+ Sheffield +

+ 14th July - 1st NO2ID Sheffield Meeting +
Monday, 14th July 8pm at Millhouses Public House, 951 Abbeydale Road,S7 2QD. All welcome. Please bring a friend. Further details: Steven Montgomery (sheffield@no2id.net). If you can't make it to the meeting then you should join the Sheffield mailing list at http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.sheffield for further updates from the group.

+ Shrewsbury +

+ 5th July - Shrewsbury NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 5th July 10.30am to 12.30pm on Pride Hill in Shrewsbury, weather permitting. Drop by just to sign the petition, or you can borrow a high-vis vest and help out on the stall.

+ 14th July - Shrewsbury NO2ID Meeting +
Monday, 14th July 7.15pm until after 9pm in The Armoury, Shrewsbury (www.armoury-shrewsbury.co.uk). All welcome. Most of us will be eating there, or you can just come along for a drink.

+ Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells +

+ 7th July - Public Discussion: "David Davis and the Surveillance State" +
Monday, 7th July 7.30-9.00pm at the Angel Centre. Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells NO2ID will host a public discussion on growing concerns about the Database State as highlighted by David Davis, the ex Shadow Home Secretary. In his resignation statement Davis cited plans for the 'most intrusive identity card system in the world' and a 'database state opening up our private lives to the prying eyes of official snoopers and exposing our personal data to careless civil servants and criminal hackers'. Those who would like to share their views on the government's plans for the Surveillance State and the shifting boundary between state and individual are most welcome to join in the discussion.

+ Yorkshire +

+ 5th July - Haltemprice & Howden By-Election +
Saturday, 5th July. Yorkshire NO2ID will be taking the message of Identity Cards and the Database State to the streets in the weekend preceding the Haltemprice & Howden By-Election. Naturally we won't be endorsing any particular candidate but we hope to raise the profile of the issue both among voters and in the national media who will be covering events. NO2ID supporters from across the country will be heading over to lend a hand - but the more the better! If you're able to go along and help out, please contact Yorkshire co-ordinator James Eldon-Baker on yorkshire@no2id.net

What just happened?

+ NO2ID Campaigners Arrested at "Public" Meeting +

On Monday (30th June) nine NO2ID campaigners were arrested after they staged a peaceful protest at an invitation only Home Office so-called "public consultation". NO2ID's protest was an entirely peaceful and lawful attempt to publicise the Home Office's shifty semi-secret proceedings that had been pre-arranged with STV news. There was no intention to frighten or inconvenience any member of the public. The nine were charged with breach of the peace and bound over for 30 days. One of those arrested had a 4 year old child with her. Another of those arrested was a 68 year old retired academic. It took nine hours for the last of the protesters to be released from police custody. John Welford, NO2ID Edinburgh co-ordinator and one of the nine arrested, in a letter to The Scotsman said: "What is it about the current Labour Government that it is unable to tolerate any criticism of its policies and actions? And why is it frightened to engage openly and honestly in proper debate with the citizens of this country, especially about an issue as controversial as compulsory identity cards and the setting up of a vast, intrusive database state? …the government prefers to organise its own heavily controlled focus group meetings and private consultations away in the shadows."

+ Poynter Review of HMRC Data Loss released +

Last week a report was released by Kieran Poynter, Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers, into the loss of child benefit records at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) last year. The report points out that: "There was a general lack of awareness across HMRC Business Units, at least prior to the incident, of the importance of information security." It goes on to reveal: "a great deal of work will be required to bring HMRC up to and to sustain the world class standard for information security to which it now properly aspires".
Read the extremely dull report at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/0/1/poynter_review250608.pdf

+ Biometric Assurance Group calls for ID scheme privacy issues to be addressed +

The Biometrics Assurance Group (BAG) has released its annual report which sets out the group's examination of the government's work on biometrics during 2007, focusing particularly on the national identity scheme. The report recommends: "that proper attention be paid to the privacy/consent issue across the National Identity Scheme, BAG considered that the issue was not fully addressed by the publication of the Strategic Action Plan and that the public needed to be better informed over this".
Read the report at http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/downloads/FINAL-BAG-annual-report-2007-v1_0.pdf

+ Austria sets the pace for ID slogans +

The home page of the Austrian government’s e-government website (http://www.help.gv.at) shows the sort of excitement they hope the people of Austria will have for their ID scheme. Their banner features people jumping for joy and is emblazoned with the slogan: "Get yourself activated … get an electronic ID card!" Meanwhile the UK ID web site has gone with a much more sedate: "Everyone’s unique. Let us keep it that way." After all of the recent data losses perhaps they should use: "Everyone’s unique. Let’s see how long that lasts."

"ID" in the news

+ Access to NHS care records to be widened - eHealth Insider 3/7/08 +
The Department of Health is to review the scope of access to the NHS Care Records Service, including possibly making them available to non-NHS staff.
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/3915/access_to_nhs_care_records_to_be_widened

+ Agreement to speed up travel between the UK and US - News Distribution Service 2/7/08 +
The Home Office today announced plans to speed up travel between the UK and the US for trusted people who move regularly between the two countries. The new scheme would benefit trusted travellers who travel frequently between the two countries, underlining the importance of speedy travel between the UK and the US.
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=372717&NewsAreaID=2

+ Will Scots be willing to carry identity cards? Meg Hillier- The Scottish Herald 29/6/08 +
The Scottish Government has made clear it does not intend to use identity cards. But from 2011 there will be many in Scotland who will use the card as their main form of identification. It will be for the Scottish Government to explain why it refuses to accept this official proof of identity.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/news/display.var.2369911.0.Will_Scots_be_willing_to_carry_identity_cards.php

+ We can't leave David Davis to carry the fight on his own - The Observer 29/6/08 +
A report by Independent Scheme Assurance Panel on ID cards found that not only would there be inbuilt mistakes in the database, but that poorer people would suffer a greater risk of fraud.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/29/daviddavis.civilliberties

+ U.S. and Europe Near Agreement on Private Data - New York Times 28/6/08 +
The United States and the European Union are nearing completion of an agreement allowing law enforcement and security agencies to obtain private information — like credit card transactions, travel histories and Internet browsing habits — about people on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/28/washington/28privacy.html?scp=1&sq=european%20framework&st=cse

+ FBI's all-seeing database project loses funds - The Inquirer 28/6/08 +
On Thursday, the US House Science and Technology Committee voted to deny the FBI $11 million to continue work on a massive database of government records on virtually all American citizens. The vote came after the FBI refused to tell Congress about its plans.
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/06/27/fbi-seeing-database-project

+ Government slammed by data breach reports - Information Age 26/6/08 +
The MoD and HMRC have been hit with enforcement notices from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), following the release of two damning reviews into major data breaches. The departments will be fined if they fail to adopt the recommendations in the Poynter and Burton reports, into the HMRC and MoD respectively.
http://www.information-age.com/home/information-age-today/445601/government-slammed-by-data-breach-reports.thtml

+ Oh well. I wasn’t using my civil liberties anyway - Ideal Government 21/6/08 +
The Economist and YouGov report on the current state of public opinion on some of our favourite issues. Despite Benjamin Franklin's famous advice, the public seems happy to trade a little liberty for a little security.
http://www.idealgovernment.com/index.php/blog/oh_well_i_wasnt_using_my_civil_liberties_anyway/

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) ) ]]> http://www.no2id.net/news/newsletters/newsletter.php?issue=101 NO2ID Newsletter 100 http://www.no2id.net/news/newsletters/newsletter.php?issue=100 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:01 GMT A NATIONAL DEBATE ON THE DATABASE STATE, AT LAST ?NO2ID will be making the most of the opportunity provided by David Davis MP's dramatic resignation to encourage discussion of the surveillance society and ID cards. Mr Davis has repeatedly used the phrase "the database state", and we are sure that this is something he will want to talk about too.

Whilst NO2ID cannot endorse any candidate nor any particular party, and has no position on questions such as police powers, we welcome Mr Davis' stance wholeheartedly. Yorkshire NO2ID groups will be organising public information stands in Haltemprice and Howden on the two weekends preceding the poll on 10th July (contact yorkshire@no2id.net for details of how you can help). Other groups across the county and country as a whole will be doing the same in their areas.

How to talk to other supporters via NO2ID mailing lists

If you want to discuss the ID scheme/database state with people in your area and get together to do something about it (such as organising your own activities), NO2ID offers the means for you to do so with email 'mailing lists'.

The principle is simple. Once you are a member of a list then an email from you to that list's address (which would be something like xtown.no2id@lists.no2id.org) will go to everyone on the list and others can reply in the same way - you can therefore have multi-party conversations. It doesn't require you to have any special software and is all managed on NO2ID's private servers.

It may look a little strange at first because we don't use an elaborate commercial package, but it is easy to use if you try it. You will get a strangely titled email from our server (something like "confirm d97d8443846e7983c43d887fae5c13275b579874" ) containing details of the list you are joining and a link to click confirming you intend to join it. This stops someone else subscribing in your name.

Look at: http://www.no2id.net/localGroups/index.php to see the local lists you can join.

What's next?

 

Help wanted
NO2ID needs a part-time office manager to get on top of its administration (no pay at the moment but we might scrape together some funding for what is a very important role). The right person will be fanatically neat and organised and have experience in an admin role.We are also looking for meticulous people to do data-entry to maintain our membership and supporter records. A couple of hours at a time on a regular basis. Contact general.secretary@no2id.net if you can help

Request for volunteers
NO2ID is looking for someone to run the NO2ID Myspace page. Please email Matty Mitford on local.groups@no2id.net if you think you might be able to help.

5th July - NO2ID at Open Tech
Saturday, 5th July at ULU, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HY. NO2ID will be running a couple of sessions at this event which is an informal one-day conference on technology, society and low-carbon living. Doors open at 10am; the event starts at 10.30am. Tickets are �5 on the door.
See http://www.ukuug.org/events/opentech2008

LOCAL GROUPS NEWS

We now have local groups in 44 of the 69 proposed locations for interrogation centres - of which just 3 have yet to open. Parliamentary answers indicate that the most active centres are: Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Peterborough and Sheffield.

For information on your nearest interrogation centre, see www.no2id.net/getInvolved/idCentres.php. If you can help set up a local group in one of the remaining locations, or anywhere else in the UK, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net

Aylesbury

15th July - Inaugural NO2ID Aylesbury Meeting
Tuesday, 15th July 7.30pm at The Bricklayers Arms : 19 Walton Terrace, Walton Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP21 7QY. Contact: Neil Briscoe at aylesbury@no2id.net

Cromer

7th July - Cromer NO2ID First Meeting
Monday, 7th July 7:30pm, at The White Horse Inn, West Street, Cromer.Thereafter meetings will be at the same time and venue, on the first Monday of the month.

Cambridge

NO2ID Stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair
Cambridge NO2ID ran its now-traditional stall at the city's annual Strawberry Fair on Saturday 7th June. Despite iffy weather and intermittent light drizzle we signed up over 500 new supporters in 7 hours, and handed out over 1000 flyers. At times the queue at the stall was three deep. Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped. Here's a photo of first shift on the stall, getting ready to greet the public at about 11am:
http://tinyurl.com/3es27m

21st June - NO2ID Cambridge Stall
Saturday, 21st June at 10am in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall. Location Map: http://tinyurl.com/eo42r. As ever, volunteers to help very welcome - please email cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on 07710 469624 if you can make it.

2nd July - Cambridge NO2ID pub meeting (1st Wednesday of each month)
Wednesday, 2nd July 7.30pm at the Salisbury Arms, 76 Tenison Rd, Cambridge CB1 2DW (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=cb1 2dw). For more details contact cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on 07710 469624.

Camden & Islington

21st June - Camden & Islington NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 21st June 1pm-4pm in Crouch End, opposite the clock tower. Any helpers welcome.

7th July - Camden & Islington NO2ID Meeting
Monday, 7th July 8pm at The Castle, 54 Pentonville Road. We cover our table with NO2ID flyers. Any enquiries camden@no2id.net

Canterbury

22nd June - 'Taking Liberties' Film Showing
Sunday, 22nd June at Orange Street Music Club, Orange St, Canterbury. Doors at 7pm, showing starts at 8.30pm. Music before and afterwards. Entry free. Please spread the word!

28th June - Canterbury NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday 28th June - Next Canterbury NO2ID High St Stall. Please get in touch if you are happy to help out (canterbury@no2id.net).

There is talk of organising a day-time weekend NO2ID picnic somewhere in the green areas of Canterbury city centre over the summer. If you're interested in getting involved with this, or any event, please e-mail canterbury@no2id.net.

Dorking

Streets stalls are regular events every couple of weeks. We now have over 1100 signatures from 6 stalls. On 25th September we have organised a special "Question Time" to discuss ID Cards. The panel will be announced in due course, but we already have our MP signed up for it. We continue to push for action against ID from our Council.

Meetings every first Tuesday at 7.30pm. Venue changed - tba. For more info email dorking@no2id.net .

Edinburgh

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh street stall
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John (edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

Glasgow

Most Saturdays 2pm - NO2ID Glasgow street stall
Most Saturdays there are stalls in Glasgow city centre (usually Buchanan Street) from about 2pm. Volunteers are always welcome, please contact Geraint if you would like to help: glasgow@no2id.net

Kensington and Chelsea

6th Ju;y - Kensington and Chelsea NO2ID Stall
Sunday, 6th July at the Earl's Court Street Fair. Anyone who would like to help please contact Jill Manasseh at (kensington@no2id.net).

Lancaster

Lancaster NO2ID's presence at the Community Festival this year proved very successful, with both the young and old coming to discuss the issue and sign the petition at the stall. Even the Mayor of Lancaster, Councillor Keith Budden, stopped by for a chat and took a leaflet. Most people seemed to be more aware of the ID scheme and NO2ID than the previous year and were eager to declare their stance against it. A good day was had by all until it started to rain.

Oxford

6th July - NO2ID Oxford at the Cowley Road Carnival Sunday, 6th July from noon. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the government's scheme, but the carnival is 6 hours long so we are definitely going to need some helpers. Please let us know if you can lend a hand (oxford@no2id.net). The day will be split into 3 shifts: 1200-1400, 1400-1600 and 1600-1800. If you have any preference which shift you help on, let us know that too.

Southampton

2nd July - Southampton NO2ID Meeting (the first Wednesday of every month)
Wednesday 2nd July, The Dolphin pub, Osbourne Road South, Southampton (next to St Denys railway station), 8pm. All welcome.

Yorkshire

Yorkshire NO2ID call for activists
Yorkshire NO2ID is putting out a call to activists across the county to help with additional street stalls, leafleting and writing letters in the run up to the Davis by-election. If you have thought about getting involved in the NO2ID campaign and live in the region then now is the perfect opportunity to help put a stop to the database state. No previous campaign experience is necessary just bring your enthusiasm! Email Regional coordinator James Elsdon-Baker at Yorkshire@no2id.net who will put you in touch with other local activists. (NO2ID is non-partisan and will be campaigning as usual against the database state and ID cards, not for or against David Davis).

What just happened?

Home Affairs Committee "A Surveillance Society?" Report published

Last week (8th June) the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee released their 'A Surveillance Society?' report. The report warns that "ours could be described as a surveillance society unless trust in the Government%u2019s intentions in relation to data and data sharing is preserved" - so that's a yes then! On the database state they quote the Surveillance Studies Network who point out that "the foundation for all new surveillance technologies is the database%u201D. With regard to the ID scheme the report recommends "that the Home Office publish its plans for collecting and retaining administrative information as part of the NIR [National Identity Register] and that it commit to a principle of data minimisation for the National Identity Scheme".
Download the report (Fifth Report, HC 58-I & HC 58-II) at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmhaff.htm

Brown tells IPPR that technology will save us all

Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a speech this week to the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) about "liberty and emerging threats to security in London". Brown tried to suggest that there is public support for the ID scheme because, although nay-sayers try to suggest that it's about enhancing the power of the state, "in fact it starts from a recognition of the importance of something which is fundamental to the rights of the individual: the right to have your identity protected and secure". The reality is of course that the more people hear about the ID scheme the more they dislike it. On the recently released Home Affairs Committee report he said: "I believe that the new plan for the ID card scheme announced by the Home Secretary in March included important steps in the direction of the 'principle of data minimization' which the Committee recommends". It's hard to see how demanding from each of us the 50 pieces of information (as laid out in Schedule 1 of the ID cards act) and loading them into the National Identity Register, where they will have to be updated and maintained throughout your life and beyond, could be seen as data minimisation!
Read or watch the speech at http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page15786.asp

Sweden's little Echelon

By the narrowest of margins (143 to 139), the Swedish parliament has passed a law allowing the military radio service to monitor all telecommunications between Sweden and other countries. The vote sparked a furore in a country where midsummer celebrations generally mean a lull in political interest. Visits to websites opposing the law outstripped those to sites about the EURO 2008 football cup. Leading the "No" campaign were IT specialists, lawyers' associations, civil rights groups, the journalists' union and the newspaper publishers' association. Many of the government's own MPs deserted it in the run-up to the vote on 18 June. Major newspaper Dagens Nyheter commented: "It will now be legal to eavesdrop and spy on people who are not under any kind of suspicion. We're not talking about Yemen, North Korea or the former GDR here, but about Sweden." Contacted by the paper, Privacy International said the only known comparable surveillance system in terms of intrusiveness is the US-British Echelon.

"ID" in the news

 

ICO to review surveillance annually - KableNet 17/6/08
The prime minister has defended identity cards, biometrics and CCTV, but has agreed that the information commissioner will write an annual review of government surveillance for Parliament.
http://www.kablenet.com/kd.nsf/Frontpage/E3AA2D3BE042C2E68025746B004C1F04?OpenDocument

David Davis is still right - The Guardian 17/6/08
Those who doubted the effectiveness of David Davis's resignation last week, saying it was a one-day stunt that would be quickly forgotten, have only to read Gordon Brown's speech to the IPPR today to see how big an impact Davis has had. The prime minister responded to all the main charges made by Davis from the steps of the House of Commons last week on 42-day pre-charge detention, ID cards, CCTV cameras and the DNA database.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/17/uksecurity.terrorism

UK shame and US pride - The Guardian 16/6/08
Guant�namo, however grotesque, is a one-off, which may soon end; but 42 days is part of a pattern which includes ID cards, CCTV cameras, and a host of other measures whittling away our rights and the rule of law. Unlike Guant�namo, the British laws are meant to last.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/16/civilliberties.terrorism

MPs warn ID cards could be used to spy on the public - The Scotsman 9/6/08
The UK government's controversial national identity card scheme could be used to mount surveillance operations on members of the public, a powerful committee of MPs has warned.
http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/MPs-warn-ID-cards-could.4163977.jp

Stallman attacks Oyster's 'unethical' use of Linux - ZDNet 9/6/08
Free-software advocate Richard Stallman has spoken out against the association of open-source software with London's "unethical" Oyster-card system. "The GNU system (often called "Linux") has been developed, since 1984, for the sake of computer users' freedom. Ironically, it is now the basis for a system designed to smother the freedom of the people of London, through online payments to Oyster cards".
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39431419,00.htm

Mafia will steal millions of biometric identities, MPs warned - Mail On Sunday 8/6/08
Plans for biometric identity cards and a national ID database will play into the hands of Mafia bosses, MPs have been warned. Crime bosses would get hold of a person's unique fingerprint data and capture his or her identity forever, said Ross Anderson, professor of security engineering at Cambridge University.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1024946/Mafia-steal-millions-biometric-identities-MPs-warned.html

Cybercrooks plant phishing scam on crime reduction website - The Register 3/6/08
Phishing fraudsters hacked a Home Office crime reduction website to host an Italian phishing website on Monday.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/03/home_office_crime_reduction_hack/

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) ) ]]> http://www.no2id.net/news/newsletters/newsletter.php?issue=100 NO2ID Newsletter 99 http://www.no2id.net/news/newsletters/newsletter.php?issue=99 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:01 GMT ++ RAISE AWARENESS OF THE ID SCHEME ++

 

It may be surprising to those of us campaigning against the ID scheme but large numbers of the public are still not aware that there is an ID scheme at all. Even those that are aware may be confused after various false alarms in the media that have led them to believe that the scheme has been dropped. We need to raise awareness and ensure that people know that the illiberal scheme is very much going ahead.

There are lots of things you can do to tell others about the ID scheme and about NO2ID. Sign the NO2ID pledge[1] and display it so that others can see it and talk about it. Display a NO2ID window-sticker on your car or house (we'll send you stickers if you send us a request with a self-addressed business envelope, and if possible a donation to help us cover our costs[2]). If you know key workers such as airport staff (who are going to be co-erced into the ID database and issued an ID card first) then encourage them to get involved with their union to see what they are doing to fight the scheme. If you haven't already, get involved with a local group and help out running street stalls and talking to the public about the scheme.

The more that people know about the scheme the less they are in favour of it - so let's spread the word.

Notes:

[1] http://www.no2id.net/pledge/
The NO2ID Pledge - a way for people to personally and publicly declare that they will refuse to comply with the government's ID scheme. The pledge is an act of *pre-emptive* resistance and is, as such, entirely legal.

[2] Our address is NO2ID, Box 412, 19-21 Crawford Street, LONDON W1H 1PJ


++ STOP PRESS ++

+ Home Affairs Committee A Surveillance Society? Report to be published +
The Home Affairs Committee will publish its report 'A Surveillance Society?' on Sunday (Fifth Report, Session 2007-08, HC 58). Embargoed copies of the Report will be available electronically to government departments and witnesses today.

What's next?

 

+ Request for technical volunteers +
We are seeking experienced PHP developers with proven Drupal experience. Vi over Emacs; experience with RCS/CVS/SVN exceptionally useful. If you're interested, please provide a couple of URIs and a LinkedIn profile to technical.director@no2id.net (plain text emails only, cheers).

5th July – NO2ID at Open Tech
Saturday, 5th July at ULU, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HY. NO2ID will be running a couple of sessions at this event which is an informal one-day conference on technology, society and low-carbon living. Doors open at 10am; the event starts at 10.30am. Tickets are £5 on the door.
See http://www.ukuug.org/events/opentech2008

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

We now have local groups in 44 of the 69 proposed locations for interrogation centres - of which just 3 have yet to open. Parliamentary answers indicate that the most active centres are: Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Peterborough and Sheffield.

For information on your nearest interrogation centre, see www.no2id.net/getInvolved/idCentres.php. If you can help set up a local group in one of the remaining locations, or anywhere else in the UK, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net

+ Bradford +

11th June – Bradford NO2ID Meeting (2nd Wednesday of every month)
Wednesday, 11th June at Bradford Resource Centre, 17-21 Chapel Street, Bradford BD1 5DT.

+ Cambridge +

7th June - NO2ID Stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair
Saturday 7th June, volunteers needed to man the stall for 2 hour shifts from 10am until 6pm: please contact cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew Watson on 07710 469624. We signed up 700 supporters last year - we'd like to improve on that number this year. (Strawberry Fair info: http://www.strawberry-fair.org.uk)

21st June - NO2ID Cambridge Stall
Saturday, 21st June at 10am in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall. Location Map: http://tinyurl.com/eo42r. As ever, volunteers to help very welcome - please email cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on 07710 469624 if you can make it.

+ Camden & Islington +

21st June - Camden & Islington NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 21st June 1pm-4pm in Crouch End, opposite the clock tower. Any helpers welcome.

7th July - Camden & Islington NO2ID Meeting
Monday, 7th July 8pm at The Castle, 54 Pentonville Road. We cover our table with NO2ID flyers. Any enquiries camden@no2id.net

+ Canterbury +

14th June - Canterbury NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday 14th June - Next Canterbury NO2ID High St Stall. Please get in touch if you are happy to help out (canterbury@no2id.net).

22nd June - 'Taking Liberties' Film Showing
Sunday, 22nd June at Orange Street Music Club, Orange St, Canterbury. Doors at 7pm, showing starts at 8.30pm. Music before and afterwards. Entry free. Please spread the word!

There is talk of organising a day-time weekend NO2ID picnic somewhere in the green areas of Canterbury city centre over the summer. If you're interested in getting involved with this, or any event, please e-mail canterbury@no2id.net.

+ Deptford +

7th June - Deptford NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 7th June from 10.30 on Deptford High St, outside Deptford rail station. We had a stall on 24th May at the same location and most market goers were positive to the NO2ID cause.

+ Edinburgh +

+Edinburgh News+
Last month (22nd May) NO2ID Edinburgh's coordinator John Welford had the guest spot on the local radio station Talk 107. He was able to present a comprehensive picture of our campaign issues, including the highly controversial Scottish "bus pass" and was on air for around thirty minutes. The two interviewers were friendly and sympathetic and seemed keen to give a repeated plug for our weekly Princes Street campaign stall! Members at the last Edinburgh group meeting (27th May) heard a reprise of part of the presentations at the recent briefing meeting for MSPs. Local authorities are pushing multi-purpose entitlement cards for local services at sections of the public under the guise of improving IT efficiency and in this they are supported by the government. At the same time the Scottish Parliament has voted decisively against the use of ID cards for devolved services. The group's aim is to give maximum publicity to this inconsistency. [See "ID in the News" section below for developments re the bus pass and the Scottish Parliament - Ed]

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh street stall
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John(edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

+ Glasgow +

Most Saturdays 2pm - NO2ID Glasgow street stall
Most Saturdays there are stalls in Glasgow city centre (usually Buchanan Street) from about 2pm. Volunteers are always welcome, please contact Geraint if you would like to help: glasgow@no2id.net

17th June – Glasgow NO2ID Summer Activities Planning Meeting
Tuesday, 17th June, 8pm in Mono. All welcome!

+ Oxford +

5th June - NO2ID Oxford Meeting (1st Thursday of each month)
Thursday, 5th June 8pm in the Mitre pub on the High Street. All welcome.

7th June - NO2ID Oxford Street Stall
Saturday, 7th June from 10am at Manzil Way on the Cowley Rd. Hope you can make it along! More details on the website: http://no2id-oxford.org.uk/

+ Selby +

14th June - Selby NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 14th June 10.45 - 14.00 in Parliament Street, York. All welcome.

17th June - Selby NO2ID Meeting
Tuesday, 17th June 8pm at The Blue Bell public house Monk Fryston.

+ Southampton +

2nd July - Southampton NO2ID Meeting (the first Wednesday of every month)
Wednesday 2nd July, The Dolphin pub, Osbourne Road South, Southampton (next to St Denys railway station), 8pm. All welcome.

What just happened?

 

+ Local councils begin data-sharing projects +

Just as many local councils around the country are passing motions against ID cards, we now find that many of them are starting to introduce data sharing initiatives. For instance in Dorset they have an information sharing protocol that allows data to be passed between the county's public sector bodies including the police, fire service, education chiefs, social workers and housing staff, and Sunderland City Council has installed Cyber-Ark's Inter-Business Vault to "tackle crime and anti-social behaviour". The data sharing schemes have been set up under the Information Sharing and Assessment (ISA) initiative (formally IRT - Identification, Referral and Tracking). The data sharing is being sold as a way of protecting vulnerable members of society such as children but in reality it is about removing the right of individuals to control the way their personal data is used and the abolition of privacy.

+ Birmingham City Council leader speaks out against 'Transformational Government' project +

Glyn Evans, head of Birmingham City Council’s Transformational Government programme has said he is "frustrated" by the time it is taking for benefits to come out of the programme. Evans told Computer Weekly: "We have got to move away from the central government view that it is all about efficiency savings and shared services. It has got to be more than that". Birmingham City Council has the largest local authority 'Transformational Government' project in the UK - they signed a 10-year deal with Capita in March 2006.

+ ID suppliers ill informed about ID scheme +

The european boss of Fujitsu, one of the contractors to the National Identity Scheme, has said that he isn't worried about the scheme being cancelled if the Conservative party wins the next election. The reasons cited by Richard Christou were that the ID scheme is just one of the contracts, noting for instance that the European Union has mandated the use of biometrics in passports. Of course what Christou should know is that the UK is not a member of the EU's Schengen border-controls agreement and so is not part of the EU biometric passport programme. Of course this hasn't stopped ministers claiming that we are bound by EU regulations on this or even claiming that the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) requires biometrics - which it does not.

+ University academics pass anti-ID motion +

Cambridge academics have led Britain's largest academic trade union in opposing the government's ID cards scheme. The Cambridge branch of the University and College Union (UCU) proposed a motion condemning the widely-criticised plans at the annual congress in Manchester on Wednesday 28th May. Representatives of the 120,000-strong union accepted the Cambridge proposal, voting unanimously to oppose ID cards plans and affiliate to NO2ID. Dr Toby White, a NO2ID activist and UCU member who helped organise the motion by the Cambridge branch, said: "UCU delegates from several other universities spoke strongly in support of our motion, which was passed with overwhelming support."
See: http://www.ucu.org.uk/circ/html/ucu104.html

+ UK signs up to EU-wide ID pilot +

A pilot project for cross-border electronic identity recognition has been officially unveiled by the European Commission. And although the scheme is in no way mandatory at this stage, the British government is among the first 14 to sign up. Announced on 30th May, the project will "run for three years and receive €10 million (over £7.9m) funding from the European Commission and an equal contribution from the participating partners". The aim is to "enable EU citizens to prove their identity and use national electronic identity systems (passwords, ID cards, PIN codes and others) throughout the EU". The scheme will "align and link" national systems rather than replacing them. Function creep seems to be part of the agenda. As the Commission emphasises, "throughout the EU, some 30 million national eID cards are used by citizens to access a variety of public services such as claiming social security and unemployment benefits or filing tax returns". Through "its size and momentum", the project will "overrun traditional barriers and encourage the mutual acceptance of other countries' electronic identities ". The project is officially known as Project STORK, which obviously stands for Secure idenTity acrOss boRders linKed.
For more info see: http://tinyurl.com/54gyll

+ German anti-surveillance protests - Europe-wide soon? +

Thousands of people across Germany demonstrated against the surveillance state on 31st May. It was the latest in a series of protests under the slogan "Freedom Not Fear". Telecommunications data retention is currently the hot topic in Germany, but the demonstrators also took in other surveillance issues. The organisers want to spread the protests across Europe from September onwards. They are currently translating their wiki into English and are looking for help with this: http://wiki.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/Main_page

+ Their pigeon (and nobody else's) +

A group of Dutch artists is training carrier pigeons to transport data files. They say it's the only secure form of data transfer left.

"ID" in the news

 

+ A quarter of UK adults to go on child protection database - The Register 4/6/08 +
From next year, all those who wish to work, either paid or unpaid, with children or vulnerable adults will need to be vetted. Those who fail the vetting will be barred from obtaining such work. Individuals who seek to work in these areas, knowing that they have been barred, will be committing a criminal offence.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/04/government_database_volunteers/

+ Nursery fingerprinting criticised - The Press Association 3/6/08 +
Fingerprint scanning technology which was fully introduced to control entry at two nurseries has been criticised by a children's rights group. "By introducing this in nurseries, we are also normalising fingerprint scanning. Children are growing up thinking it is perfectly normal to throw your biometrics about."
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gNQJQvkGbL0PuWYrjOiyOWJkmrmQ

+ Government picks 3M to print initial biometric identity cards - PrintWeek 29/5/08 +
3M's security printing arm has been appointed by the government as the production partner in the first phase of its ID cards scheme.
http://tinyurl.com/5c459y

+ Interview with UK´s IPS - Identity Loop 27/5/08 +
With five suppliers – all those still left in the procurement race – having been chosen to work with the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) to deliver the UK’s National Identity Scheme (NIS), and 3M-SPSL being awarded a contract to produce ID cards for critical workers, Identity Loop posed some pressing questions to Bill Crothers, Commercial Executive Director at IPS.
http://www.identityloop.com/interviews/i/302/

+ Campaigners taste victory in ‘backdoor ID cards’ battle - Sunday Herald 25/5/08 +
Civil liberties campaigners have won a review of Scotland's controversial microchipped entitlement card scheme. Ministers are to scrutinise the project amid fears that it is a "back door" to compulsory ID cards. Around one-third of Scots now have the plastic swipe cards, which are backed by a database and far-reaching legislation. Opponents insist that, while the programme may appear harmless, it is almost identical to the Home Office's plans for a National Identity Register.
http://tinyurl.com/5d87up

+ Five survive the cut as doubts grow about Government's ID card scheme - The Times 24/5/08 +
The credibility of the Government's tendering process for its £2 billion biometric identity card scheme was cast into doubt yesterday after all the remaining companies interested in the scheme's IT contracts advanced to a shortlist of qualified bidders.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article3994588.ece

+ A picture of something chillingly Orwellian - The Herald 22/5/08 +
Imagine a world where the government knows where you are all the time. Imagine a world where a man you've never met knows you are about to get married before your beloved has even popped the question. Imagine a world where you can be refused a mortgage or life insurance because someone has mislaid or sold your personal detail. This week we hear that in drawing up the forthcoming Communications Data Bill, Home Office officials are seriously suggesting a database holding details of every phone call made and e-mail or text message sent in the UK.
http://tinyurl.com/5hw63p

+ UK ID card set up costs to rise - Securiry Document World - 8/5/08 +
The UK’s Identity and Passport Service (IPS) has said that the while the set up costs associated with the introduction of the national identity card scheme have risen, the total costs over a ten year period have fallen from £5.43 billion to £4.565 billion.
http://www.securitydocumentworld.com/public/news.cfm?&m1=c_10&m2=c_5&m3=e_0&m4=e_0&subItemID=1320

+ Private sector saviours wanted for desperate ID scheme - The Register 7/5/08 +
Plans for the widespread introduction of fingerprint passports and ID cards, already delayed until 2012, have receded further into the distance with the publication of the latest Identity & Passport Service cost report for the ID scheme. This effectively pulls the plugs on the network of IPS-run interview centres, and lobs future responsibility for these and for biometric enrolment over to private sector companies.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/07/id_scheme_2008_costs/

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) ) ]]> http://www.no2id.net/news/newsletters/newsletter.php?issue=99 NO2ID Newsletter 98 http://www.no2id.net/news/newsletters/newsletter.php?issue=98 Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:01 GMT

++ PLEASE JOIN NO2ID – WE NEED YOUR HELP ++

 

NO2ID has been an active campaign group for almost four years now and during this time we have lead a massive increase in public awareness of "the database state" (a phrase invented to explain the danger we saw). Clearly the database state continues to grow. The ID cards scheme is just starting to bite, but a connected government initiative seems to be launched every other month or so, none of them well thought-out, all of them a danger to privacy and liberty.

To keep up with all this and keep you informed takes time. To do something about it - whether that is campaigning, or lobbying politicians and journalists, printing information leaflets and adverts, or organising public events - inevitably also takes money. Which means we need members. Almost all our funding now comes from membership fees and donations from individual supporters - we are hardly likely to get a government grant and we stay independent of any political patronage of any kind.

Of the 20,000 people who are sent this newsletter, fewer than 1,500 are subscription paying members of NO2ID. If you value the information we send you and the work we are doing then please join.

There is a membership form at: http://www.no2id.net/downloads/membForm.pdf

If you are already a member, then thank you. You are the reason we are able to do our work at all.

+ BBC Politics Show seeks volunteers for surveillance item +

The BBC television programme 'The Politics Show' is looking for volunteers to appear in a film about data-sharing and surveillance. The film is to coincide with the soon to be released report on data sharing by the Information Commissioner and Mark Wallport of the Wellcome Trust. The programme's producer Ian Lauchlan said: "I'm trying to find a young family who might help us illustrate how widely data-sharing and the surveillance culture permeates all aspects of our lives. We'd like to film them trying to get through a week without revealing any data information about themselves." Anyone fitting the criteria who would like to be in this worthwhile film should contact Ian Lauchlan directly on 0207 973 6083 or 07912 583 234.

 

What's next?

 

+ Request for volunteers in our London Office +
We are looking for someone who is able to volunteer to do two hours regularly on a Saturday morning at out Vauxhall office packing parcels of NO2ID leaflets/merchandise for distribution to our local groups. If you can help please contact general.secretary@no2id.net

+ Request for technical volunteers +
We are seeking technically competent, experienced PHP developers, and those with proven Drupal experience. Vi over Emacs; experience with RCS/CVS/SVN exceptionally useful. If you're interested, please provide a couple of URIs, and a LinkedIn profile to technical.director@no2id.net (plain text emails only, cheers).

+ 29th May - South Yorkshire regional meeting +
Thursday, 29th May 7.00pm at The Quaker Meeting House, 140 St James St S1 2EW, Sheffield. Matty Mitford (Local Groups coordinator), James Elsdon-Baker (Yorkshire Regional Coordinator) and Phil Booth are in the line up for this meeting for anyone who runs/is interested in running NO2ID campaigning activity - in South Yorks in particular but all are welcome. We are looking for a Sheffield coordinator - Sheffield may now be the biggest city in England without an active group. Contact local.groups@no2id.net or yorkshire@no2id.net for more details.

5th July – NO2ID at Open Tech
Saturday, 5th July at ULU, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HY. NO2ID will be running a couple of sessions at this event which is an informal one-day conference on technology, society and low-carbon living. Doors open at 10am; the event starts at 10.30am. Tickets are £5 on the door.
See http://www.ukuug.org/events/opentech2008

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

We now have local groups in 44 of the 69 proposed locations for interrogation centres - of which just 3 have yet to open. Parliamentary answers indicate that the most active centres are: Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Peterborough and Sheffield.

For information on your nearest interrogation centre, see www.no2id.net/getInvolved/idCentres.php. If you can help set up a local group in one of the remaining locations, or anywhere else in the UK, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net

+ Birmingham +

24th May - Birmingham NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 24th May - the NO2ID call will be heard on the streets of Birmingham for the first time this weekend as the city's local group holds its first campaign stall in the city centre. We're aiming to raise awareness of the ID card scheme across the city through face-to-face discussion with the public, distributing leaflets and collecting signatures for the petition and support from any NO2ID sympathisers in the local area will be most welcome!

27th May - Birmingham NO2ID Meeting
Tuesday 27 May from 7.30pm till 9pm in the Seminar Room at The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Birmingham B6 4UU - behind The Bartons Arms pub in Aston with on-site and street parking; it can also be reached by bus (8, 33, 34, 51, 52, 107 and 113). Among other things this month, we'll be learning how to write a successful letter to the press or local MPs. We've got a number of other events lined up for the summer so come along and get involved.

+ Bradford +

31st May – Bradford NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 31st May, from 11am - 3pm in the city centre on Tyrrell Street (outside the Zavvi superstore).

11th June – Bradford NO2ID Meeting (2nd Wednesday of every month)
Wednesday, 11th June at Bradford Resource Centre, 17-21 Chapel Street, Bradford BD1 5DT.

+ Cambridge +

31st May - NO2ID Cambridge Stall
Saturday, 31st May at 10am in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall. Location Map: http://tinyurl.com/eo42r. As ever, volunteers to help very welcome - please email cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on 07710 469624 if you can make it.

7th June - NO2ID Stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair
Saturday 7th June, volunteers needed to man the stall for 2 hour shifts from 10am until 6pm: please contact cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew Watson on 07710 469624. We signed up 700 supporters last year - we'd like to improve on that number this year. (Strawberry Fair info: http://www.strawberry-fair.org.uk)

+ Canterbury +

14th June - Canterbury NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday 14th June - Next Canterbury NO2ID High St Stall. Please get in touch if you are happy to help out (canterbury@no2id.net).

+ Dorking +

3rd June – Dorking NO2ID Meeting (every 1st Tuesday of month)
Tuesday, 3rd June 7.30pm at The Barn, The Old House at Home pub, West Street, Dorking. All welcome.

+ Dover +

31st May – NO2ID Dover Street Stall
Saturday, 31st May, from 10am (weather permitting) in Folkestone at the Sandgate Road precinct, between Debenhams and Westcliff Gardens.

+ Edinburgh +

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh street stall
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John(edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

27th May - NO2ID Edinburgh meeting
Tuesday, 27th May at 7.00 pm in The Library, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL. Where do we go next with the Scottish ID Card? Under the guise of improving and coordinating IT systems, Scotland's 32 Local Authorities are introducing an ID card directly against the policy of the Scottish Parliament and apparently without the knowledge of most MSPs. The bus pass for students and seniors is being extended as a local services 'entitlement card'. As a result NO2ID recently organised a briefing meeting for MSPs. What happened there and what has happened since will be discussed. All welcome.

+ Glasgow +

Most Saturdays 2pm - NO2ID Glasgow street stall
Most Saturdays there are stalls in Glasgow city centre (usually Buchanan Street) from about 2pm. Volunteers are always welcome, please contact Geraint if you would like to help: glasgow@no2id.net

3rd June – Glasgow NO2ID Meeting
Tuesday, 3rd June, 8pm in Mono. All welcome!

+ Leeds +

+ Leeds University Students pass Anti-ID motion +
Leeds University and College Union (UCU) has passed an anti-ID scheme motion following much hard work from a member of the Leeds NO2ID. The motion which follows on the heels of a motion by Leeds University Student Union states that: “The national ID scheme is: unnecessary; flawed; discriminatory; costly; and threatens individual security and privacy. Over £30m has already been spent on 'consultants' to the scheme, with the cost of implementation at over £20bn, at a time when public sector pay and higher education funding is under significant threat”.

24th May - NO2ID Leeds Street Stall
Saturday, 24th May meeting 1pm on Briggate. We may move down to the art gallery after meeting. Look forward to seeing lots of new faces.

+ Leicester +

28th May – Leicester NO2ID Meeting
Wednesday, 28th May, at 8pm in the Blues pub, Uplands Road, Oadby.

+ Selby +

Our 'Say NO2ID' song on youtube is now at over 2000 views and rising. If anyone wants a copy on CD to use (better quality than on Youtube), email selby@no2id.net.

+ Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells +

31st May – Tunbridge Wells NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 31st May. If you are able to help then please email tunbridge.wells@no2id.net

What just happened?

+ Surveillance Inquiry evidence sessions +
On Wednesday (21st May) the House of Lords Constitution Committee held an evidence session as part of their Surveillance and Data Collection inquiry. The Committee took evidence from Sir Christopher Rose (Chief Surveillance Commissioner) and then from Sir Paul Kennedy (Interception of Communications Commissioner). On 14th May the committee took evidence from Dr Victoria Williams and Professor Ian Loader.
Listen to the evidence sessions at:
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=1834&rel=ok
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=1816

+ Crewe and Nantwich by-election and ID cards +
One of our supporters recently managed to corner some of the prospective candidates in today's (22nd May) Crewe and Nantwich by-election to ask them their views on the government's ID scheme. David Roberts (English Democrats) said he was personally in favour and when pressed as to why said it was mainly to distinguish between those who are 'English' and entitled to use public services and those who come from elsewhere and are not. He also said that it would reduce crime but didn't elaborate on how. Elizabeth Shenton (Liberal Democrats) said she is opposed on grounds of infringement of civil liberties, cost and unworkability. Edward Timpson (Conservative) also said he was opposed on cost, doubt as to its usefulness and civil liberties concerns. Meanwhile the Labour campaign has been mired in controversy over a leaflet attempting to turn voters against the conservative candidate because he opposes (to quote the leaflet)“making foreign nationals carry an ID card”. (See “ID in the News” section below for more on this story).

+ Thanks +
On the subject of the Crewe and Nantwich by-election – many thanks to the benefactor that paid for our NO2ID adverts in the Nantwich Chronicle.

+ Belgian banks: Bring us your ID or we’ll keep all your money +
Banks in Belgium are warning customers that their accounts will be blocked from 15th May unless they take their ID cards round to a local branch. The banks are legally obliged to take copies of each client’s ID.

+ Global data leaks +
The personal data of six million Chileans were stolen at the beginning of May and briefly published on a website. They included names, e-mail addresses and street addresses. A hacker said he stole them online from the health ministry, the electoral authority and the state-run phone company. Not to be outdone, the highly official website of the Swiss Justice and Police Ministry has just published a confidential document about Europe’s Schengen immigration control arrangements. But it was all a “mistake” a ministry spokesman said – prompting some Swiss to wonder what the ministry might get up to with even more important data, namely theirs. Next door, the German government has admitted that 189 desktop computers, 328 laptops, 38 data storage devices and 271 mobile phones belonging to the federal authorities went missing between 2005 and 2007. 48 of them disappeared outside Germany. Some contained sensitive or secret data.

"ID" in the news

+ Big Brother’ database for phones and e-mails - The Times 20/5/08 +
A massive government database holding details of every phone call, e-mail and time spent on the internet by the public is being planned as part of the fight against crime and terrorism. Internet service providers (ISPs) and telecoms companies would hand over the records to the Home Office under plans put forward by officials.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article3965033.ece

+ Why the police now have to ask teenage muggers: 'Do you eat chips?' - Daily Mail 17/5/08 +
Imagine a country where strangers have the right to ask intrusive questions and store the answers on a database. Where everyone from police officers to leisure-centre staff can demand: "Tell me who you feel close to?"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-567003/Why-police-ask-teenage-muggers-Do-eat-chips.html

+ NHS IT 'at least four years late' – BBC News online 15/5/08+
It will be at least 2014 - four years later than planned - before a single NHS electronic patient records system is in place in England, say auditors. The head of the National Audit Office, Tim Burr, said the challenge was "far greater than envisaged".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7403286.stm

+ Labour activists' rage over 'racist' Crewe campaign - Politics.co.uk 13/6/08 +
Labour activists are condemning their party's by-election campaign in Crewe and Nantwich after an election leaflet was released which party members say appeals to BNP voters. The leaflet in question shows a checklist of policies which Edward Timpson, the Conservative candidate, opposes - one of which reads: "Do you oppose making foreign nationals carry an ID card?"
http://tinyurl.com/6gkygd

+ Web passports system canned as costs soar - ComputerWeekly 13/5/08 +
The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) has cancelled an over-complicated replacement online passport applications system after rising costs and glitches, which led to about 5,000 applications becoming stuck in the system. The IPS told Computer Weekly that it has written off £10.9m in development costs because of the cancellation of the Electronic Passport Application system EPA2.
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/05/13/230654/web-passports-system-canned-as-costs-soar.htm

+ We'll be able to sign up for ID cards at Tesco - The Telegraph 12/5/08 +
Almost unnoticed last week, the Government announced it had shaved another £1 billion off the cost of its proposed identity card scheme. It did so by deciding to let the "open market" capture citizens' biometrics, effectively outsourcing the cost of enrolling people on to the ID database. You could end up getting your fingerprints taken at a supermarket, rather than at a passport office as originally proposed.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/05/12/do1202.xml

+ Update: government admits ID cards have no business case - ComputerWeekly 12/5/08 +
The government has, for the first time, admitted publicly that it cannot quantify in financial terms the expected benefits from its controversial £5.4bn National Identity Scheme (NIS). James Hall, chief executive of the Identity & Passport Service, said, "Many of these benefits [of the NIS] may be hard to quantify and potentially harder to articulate in financial terms within the scheme's business case."
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/05/12/230638/update-government-admits-id-cards-have-no-business.htm

+ Data dunces – The Sun 10/5/08 +
There's nothing more private than your medical records. Yet it seems anyone can access the NHS computer database. The Government promised it couldn’t happen. Yet a GP finds he can log in without security checks. Labour insist that the ID cards database will be totally secure. But how can we believe them?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/sun_says/article1150607.ece

+ Sunderland council deploys secure information sharing to tackle anti-social behaviour - ComputerWeekly 8/5/08 +
Sunderland City Council has installed Cyber-Ark's Inter-Business Vault to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. The Information Sharing and Assessment (ISA) initiative is a multi-agency project that allows the services within Sunderland, including the police and council, to share information and work closely together.
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/05/08/230615/sunderland-council-deploys-secure-information-sharing-to-tackle-anti-social.htm

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) ) ]]> http://www.no2id.net/news/newsletters/newsletter.php?issue=98