Data Control

In a victory of civil liberty advocates and me, UK DNA profiles of innocent people will be deleted from the national database after the European Court deemed this profiling illegal. I learn that Scotland Yard maintains DNA records on 10 million British citizens ! From today, all genetic material taken from the unconvicted, such as blood or swab samples, will be destroyed. This amounts to 850,000 files. Wow - go figure. Still, others accused of serious violent and sexual offences who are released without charge will have their genetic profile stored for 12-years under the Home Office plans. And those falsely accused of less serious crimes will stay on the database for six years before being removed automatically. I don't doubt for a minute that the DNA database will play a vital role removing shitheads from the street, but we must continually battle government's over-reach: eventually and inevitably, our DNA taken at birth and kept forever linked to our ID card with our vital data but for now - rejoice in our small victory. I listen to the radio meatheads who call in to argue that since they have done nothing wrong, they don't fear Big Brother. This a slippery slope, my friends. CCTV, for instance, initially to thwart serious crime and now local councils spying on dog owners who don't pick up. Soon we are all looking over the shoulder. And further, it took the EC to reel in civil violations - not our earnest Home Secretary Jacqui Smith (recently embroiled in housing allowance abuse and her husband's porno-stash, which she unwittingly expensed). The Magna Carta? you may ask. My guess most British cannot say one thing about it. Datacenter photo from Hosted Solutions in Raleigh, NC.

The Magna Carta BTW was issued in 1215 and protected certain rights of the 'King's subjects;' it became the writ of habeas corpus.