This morning, I had a call from some people calling themselves the National Accident Database who asked for me by name, ‘regarding an accident I may have had in the last 6 years’. No such accident.
I asked them to tell me where they got my details. Eventually they put me through to a supervisor who said it was off a database but she wouldn’t tell me where from or what sort of database or any more details other than the fact that they had my name and phone number. Apparently this refusal to say where they got my details from is to protect my privacy.
I have also had a series of texts in the last few weeks offering me £5,000 compensation ‘for your accident’. No such accident.
If I give anyone my phone number or email address when searching for quotes or information online, I always tick the opt-out of further information box. I fully accept that I give out a certain level of information by doing this sort of thing online (and that it would not be hugely difficult for someone to track me down through this website, for example) but it really does make me cross when companies ignore my request to opt-out and continue to sell my details, and then won’t even give me enough information to take it up with whoever is responsible.
After I put the phone down, I read this article in the Guardian about the ongoing inquiry into press standards. While I know that it’s not the same thing, I think the point raised by the new Information Commissioner remains. There is enormous potential for unscrupulous companies or individuals to misuse information, and as far as I can tell, any sanctions are pretty puny. I generally can’t see the point of jail sentences for financial crimes as I think big fines and relevant community service are actually more socially useful, so I do disagree on that point. However, as things stand, the benefits outweigh the risks, so it does appear that more needs to be done by the government.
This is just one of the reasons I am against ID cards and the database behind them – imagine if the database existed at the moment. How incredibly tempting would it be for the government to try to plug one of the many black holes by selling it…
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Hear hear about the ID cards!
In the light of the Government tolerating (at the very least) this black-market in information, I think it’s hypocritical of some MPs to maneuvre to keep details of their private use of taxpayers’ money out of the public realm.