"The creation of a National Identity Register means that the
scheme amounts to much more than issuing a simple identity card. Of
particular concern is the extent of information to be held by
government and how this will be used in practice," says the report.
"There is a danger of function creep, whereby information is used
for purposes far beyond that for which it was collected."
The ID card scheme has been plunged into controversy by leaked
emails detailing failings in the project, and Thomas's concerns
will add to the growing sense of crisis around the plan. At the
heart of Thomas's concerns are the proposals to use the ID card
database for purely administrative purposes.
The ID card legislation allowed for the use of the ID card
database for public administration tasks, as recommended by the
now-closed Citizens Information Project within the Home Office.
This is what is causing the Commissioner concern.
"The government has already signalled its intention to develop
the National Identity Register as an adult population database. Our
concerns were echoed by parliamentarians, and others, over the
course of the legislative process and we welcome the limited
changes that were made," says the annual report. "However, we will
be working to make sure that the ID card scheme takes account of
data protection concerns as it is implemented."
Though the ID card was conceived as a security measure, the
Commissioner's concerns are with the civil and administrative
functions that have been introduced to the scheme. "The data trail
created by everyday use of the card has the potential to create a
detailed picture of how individuals live their lives," says the
report. "Our priority is to ensure that the Identity Cards Act 2006
is implemented in a manner consistent with the Data Protection Act
1998 and achieves good practice in information management."
This is not the first time the Commissioner has expressed
concerns with the ID Card scheme. Two years ago, in an interview
with The Times, he warned that the country could be "sleepwalking
into a surveillance society".
The Commissioner also reported on the progress of the first year
of the Freedom of Information Act. He said that some public bodies
have become used to providing information more quickly than others,
and that local government was more complained about than central
government. He also outlined a tougher approach to complaints
about public bodies withholding information.
"We will be taking an increasingly tough line with public
authorities where necessary. For example, we are now more ready to
use Information Notices," said the report. "We will not allow
public authorities to engage in unnecessarily lengthy
correspondence or to raise irrelevant or peripheral issues which
(if at all) should have been addressed at the Refusal Notice or
internal review stages."
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