Are you more than a piece of data held on a database?

Hello, citizen number 20-29178 here.  Have you ever wondered how much of your personal data is stored electronically?  Probably not, however you really should consider it.

Since the explosion of the Internet and online services for almost every product you could possibly want it is increasingly difficult to feel like an individual rather than an entry on a database.  My gripe is this, what is actually done with all this information collected by banks, insurance companies, and any other service you subscribe to?  Is there anyone watching over the actions of these people?

With billions of separate pieces of data...

Of course people will shout about the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, but in reality with billions of separate pieces of data sitting on an array of servers somewhere (and probably not even in this country), what organisation could possibly cope with the sheer amount of data being harvested and hoarded away?

For instance when my car insurance is due for renewal, company’s I asked for a quote several years ago send me a letter offering me insurance with them; an automatically triggered letter sent to an entry on their database at a set time.  I often receive unwanted phone calls around the same time from other insurance companies indicating that this information is shared between all the insurance groups and somehow they have got my phone number.

We are already on the cusp of the urban nightmare as predicted in the George Orwell novel 1984.  I am genuinely concerned that this information is being used to exploit and manipulate us at every turn.  As the advert for car tax dodgers said “You cannot escape the computer” which is horrifying true, and all this is done under the cover of being able to offer better services, better products, reducing fraud or just about any other line that they think the public will swallow.

But consider this the Valuation office – an executive agency of the Inland Revenue which values every domestic property in the country has a database containing information and in some cases digital images of the private houses.  They also have a complete history of property transactions, all very tempting and extremely sought after information by marketing companies and the like.  Do you really trust the government to hold all of this data and not sell it on or make available to other government agencies?

In short we are tracked, monitored and watched every day and this information is squirreled away to be used against you.  With the current advancements in technology what will it be like in ten or twenty year’s time?  Why should we allow ourselves to be exploited in this way, and is it too late stop the “cyber-harvesters”?

By: Citizen: 20-29178

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 - A little bit of light bedtime reading for those who are interested and have a lot of patience.

George Orwell's 1984 – Big brother is watching you.  Sadly the phrase “Big Brother” will forever be associated with that cheesy Channel 4 show.  Here’s a thought provoking page with some interesting George Orwell links that may help to dispel the mystery.