Travel tracking and E-borders

I had intended to comment on the government's suggestion that the travel plans and patterns of all citizens of this nation should be stored on a database for up to ten years. Given the way the government works that should be considered to be a minimum of ten years but however long this period is, it will be an intrusion into privacy and personal rights.

My statement that it was a suggestion has to be amended now that it looks as though the system is about to be initialised and some ferry, rail and air companies will start to introduce the data collection over the Easter [2009] holidays. Private pilots, owners of light aircraft will also be brought into the scheme and their flight plans will be recorded in the database.

Even weekend sailors and sea-fishermen will face criminal prosecution if they step one foot on foreign soil.

A further twist, one which to me is the greatest joke, has cross-channel swimmers and their support teams also having to file their 'travel plans' for recording in the database.

Probably the most disturbing thing about all of this is the fact that the government will want to know;

Who you are,
Where you live,
How you paid,
Your phone number,
Your e-mail address,
Where you are going,
Who is with you,
Where you will be staying,
When you will be back,

And in most cases all this information will have to be provided at least 24 hours in advance, so no spontaneous holidays should be considered - just in case.

The information for this blog post was gathered from the No2ID pages http://www.no2id.net/newsblog/?p=1095 and http://www.no2id.net/newsblog/?p=1096

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I had intended to add a picture or two but I didn't think that the material should have any image to distract from the seriousness of what the government is trying to do to us.

It cannot be said that any of this is really going to tackle the issues of terrorism and in my opinion is just going to make '1984' a prophesy rather than a warning.

Sad, really.

Ainsley