On Mon, 17 Jul 2006 20:49:41 +0100, Silk wrote
Then you are part of the problem. It's only because so many people don't give a damn that the govenment feel they can press ahead with these schemes. If a few more poeple realised the implications and spoke up then those that would enslave the population would think twice.
Make no mistake about this. The ANPR scheme is 'sold' on catching criminals - but the system will store EVERY number plate read for 6 years. That doesn't mean only number plates read and determined to be in some way linked to a crime, but ALL readings (with a photograph of the driver and possibly video).
This is so that should something come up, they can simply go back and trace your every movement for the last few years.
A similar thing is starting to happen with CCTV and face recognition, and of course there's the idenbreasty register and DNA register.
We are very quickly moving to a system where the state tracks your every move, and stores it, because you might commit a crime.
In other words, we are moving from a situation where the majority are considered innocent until they are shown to have broken the law, to a situation where we are all buttumed to be criminals - it's just a case of waiting to see what we can be convicted for.
OK, no problem as long as this government AND EVERY FUTURE GOVERNMENT resists the temptation to abuse it. And of course as long as security is 100%, and ...
For an example of where things can lead, may I point out that in the last century a European government, elected by it's people, introduced mandatory ID registration and I suspect that the general population thought it a good idea. A few years later though, the Jews in Germany found out that it wasn't.
I'm not suggesting that a repeat of that is likely, but why do so many people think it's a good idea to give their govenment the power to do it when it's proven to be unneccessary and even counter productive ?
