Erasing David

I just discovered my old WordPress blog that has been hanging around in the stratosphere since last May. In light of the recent talk about the government's plans to keep tabs on our texts/facebook messages to 'improve security', I thought I'd re-post this entry to highlight how things have become even MORE Big Brother-esque in just under 12 months:

The UK is the 3rd most watched country in the world; Facebook, blogging, Twitter, we all do it – everyday we post the ins and outs of our private lives like never before; our internet history is saved by the internet provider for 12 months before it’s deleted; there are more CCTV cameras per person than anywhere else in the world; schools are introducing biometric fingerprint systems to survey student attendance.

It’s official. No matter what the government says the UK is fast becoming its very own rigid, electronic police state. I encourage anyone who has 1 hr 20 mins to spare, or who wants a good serving of procrastination with their work to watch the documentary ‘Erasing David’ on 4od.

Before watching, I wasn’t that bothered about ID cards or mobile phone tracking or 24 hour mass surveillance. It wasn’t an issue for me, particularly when I live in such a rural area and have nothing incredibly incriminating on my records. But that’s what we all hope. We all hope that whatever records and files the government have on us are purely fact and therefore if we have nothing to hide, we have nothing to worry about.

However this is not necessarily the case. More and more instances are arising where data is being lost/mixed up/involved in fraud and it is leaving people in very uncomfortable and potentially threatening positions. Who knows what private information, true or false, might effect our chances of  a successful life in the future?

It’s scary stuff. Perhaps we should all think twice about the information we leak about ourselves. In the mean-time, I’m moving to Panama.