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Wired reports on the opening to third parties of England's national-pupil-database:
Data relating to every school pupil in England is now available for use by private companies thanks to a change in legislation implemented last year. The move is part of a wider government initiative to "marketise" data, which includes initiatives such as the much-criticised Care.data and the selling off of taxpayer data by HMRC.
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English School Data Available to Private Firms
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O, it is excellent
To have a giant's strength; but it is tyrannous
To use it like a giant.
-- Shakespeare, "Measure for Measure", II, 2
(Score: 1) by Webweasel on Tuesday April 29 2014, @02:07PM
No Opt-out and the data is identifiable.
Seems Michael Gove is doing everything he can to make parents hate him right now.
Still this is part of the long term subtle indoctrination of our kids. Responding to a press article recently, I asked my son if the school had taken his finger print for the school library. His school had not gone that far yet, but he did tell me something a little more disturbing.
A local police officer had attended to school and shown the kids how finger prints work. Then the children lined up and had their fingerprints inked onto a small card for them to keep. Seems innocent enough, but I see it as subtle indoctrination to authority at a young age. I don't know if copies were made or taken. I do think the whole thing is entirely innocent and probably an attempt to build relationships and trust with the police.
Now they will grow up thinking that its acceptable for their personal data to be sold. Next will be my tax records, then will be my DNA and health records. Luckily the NHS have nothing on me for now.
I am not for sale and neither are my kids! Stop this!
But its already too late... far too late.
Priyom.org Number stations, Russian Military radio. "You are a bad, bad man. Do you have any other virtues?"-Runaway1956
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 29 2014, @03:33PM
We don't bother to tell the cow when it was sold do we?
(Score: 2) by juggs on Wednesday April 30 2014, @03:18AM
The police fingerprinting thing is not new - I experienced the same thing in the UK in mid - late primary school around 35 or so years ago. Police liaison officer comes and gives a talk, explaining the real basics of forensics essentially - I probably found it interesting. Then encourage the kids to get all inked up and daub their prints followed by some looking at the different shapes and patterns, compare with your friends' prints etc.
Bearing in mind this was usually an entire school year (120 - 150 kids in my case) at a time running around with inky fingers daubing each others' cards, faces, shirts etc. I find it hard to believe (cynical as I am) that it was some surreptitious means to gather comprehensive fingerprint data, it was just far too chaotic.
For sure there is some mental tomfoolery going on in this scenario, but it's along the lines of getting a large roomful of kids to sit still long enough to listen to a police person for a while - have a little fun along the way to foster engagement with and understanding of the subject.
Of course the takeaway for the kids is intended to be that the police aren't scary, they're not out to get you, in fact they will help when you need them - but remember they can track you down if you're naughty. I don't think that is widely off the mark as a takeaway for primary age kids - as far as UK policing goes at least. (Sure there are exceptions).
If you have a concern, contact your son's school and ask for the name of the liaison officer who attended - with schools being as paranoid as they are these days they will have that, his warrant ID and his base station at least. Then contact the liaison officer (or get the school to ask them to contact you if they are wormy about releasing the details) or station and request an informal meeting to discuss the matter. As a liaison officer they'll likely not require you go to the station to see them (if that gets the hackles up), they may come to you or even meet up for a coffee some place.
Is it indoctrination to authority? I see it more as a reality check. We live in a society with rules, those rules are enforced - if rules weren't enforced there would be no point those rules existing. Sounds like an ideal time to introduce the young'un to the concept of law, why it exists, why and how it gets enacted and why and how some mendacious scum manage to manipulate what ends up being enacted.
As for "sharing" health records - that's clearly coming one way or another like an unstoppable tsunami (the send an unhelpful opt-out if you care leaflet in a bundle of other Royal Mail delivered junk drop was just the first attempt to whitewash it as passive agreement - reminiscent of A Hitchiker's Guide planning notification process). My MP seems unable to inform me who the 3rd parties privy to the information may be.
I fear it is too late - the Smörgåsbord of information on the citizens of the kingdom is here for the usual high bidders to feast upon.
(Score: 1) by Webweasel on Wednesday April 30 2014, @08:20AM
Yup, your pretty much spot on.
I guess my objection is a reflection of my own dealings with the police over the years. I have never been in serious trouble, but the few encounters I have had have been rather unpleasant. Being ignored after being mugged. Being ignored when my car is broken into. Being screamed at for driving slightly to fast. Being stopped in traffic for 2 hours on the A2 so I can be told my fog lights are on and harassed when pointing out that the highway code says fog lights are yellow lenses and what I have are driving lights. Yeah traffic cops don't even know the law. Chief Wigum says "The police have no power to help you, only punish you" and that's pretty much my experience too.
I'm in the don't talk to the police, don't co-operate, and am in the "are you detaining me or am I free to go?" camp.
Its getting the balancing act right. I should be able to trust the police. I should be able to encourage my kids to trust the police. Life experience taught me this is the wrong approach, so unfortunately I cannot encourage my kids to trust them either. I should reach my kids to respect the police, but then the police should be respectable.
I actually know the liaison officer and the local PCSO's quite well. My Dad is active on the local council and lead officer of our local retained fire service. I have a good relationship with these guys, but I still don't trust them and am very careful what I say around them.
Were way off topic now, but my real concern is the acceptance that it's OK to give up biometric data. If 8 year old's think the school and police should have their finger prints, then they accept that invasion of privacy without question. By the time they reach adulthood, its so accepted as normal behavior that it becomes hard to convince them otherwise. "It's fine, its always been like this". That's what really concerns me.
Priyom.org Number stations, Russian Military radio. "You are a bad, bad man. Do you have any other virtues?"-Runaway1956