Henry Porter: This case proves we need new privacy laws
At the Guardian UK, columnist Henry Porter writes about a private individual create a secret database about construction workers:
The Information Commissioner’s investigation into the database held by the private detective Ian Kerr on thousands of building workers, which was allegedly used illegally by many of the big names in British construction, may reassure some that Britain has adequate powers to protect the public’s privacy. This would be wrong. Despite the commissioner’s success in exposing Kerr, this case underlines how much there is to be done on privacy law.
The facts are horrifying. The secret database penalised innocent people by storing unverified information about character and abilities, which often prevented them gaining employment. Union membership was a black mark. [...]
The bigger point is this: where information about people is gathered in a database without individuals knowing what is held on file or being able to challenge it if they suspect it is wrong or unjust, abuse of their rights is likely to follow. [...]
To believe that this information will not be misused is simply naive. We need only to imagine the extent of the personal files that will soon be available to public sector employers, and because of the great secrecy that surrounds these government databases it will be virtually impossible to detect any kind of blacklist or injustice. That is only one example of the way information may be misused. The power that will accrue to the government in the near future is beyond our ability to calculate.
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