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UK ID Fraud Drama
21 November 2007
The British government announced yesterday that personal records of 25 million people have been exposed to the risk of ID fraud, through the mishandling of sensitive data CDs.
The saga threatens to unsettle and, worse, create financial problems for 7.5 million families who receive child benefits.
Today, the government – and in particular the Prime Minister and Chancellor – are being grilled in Westminster and in the media about their competence and accountability.
People are demanding to know how government workers can treat private information so flippantly; especially when that government is planning to add to the amount of personal information on file by introducing personal ID cards for every citizen.
In his Social Comment on this site, broadcaster and author, Mal Fletcher says: ‘The first casualty in this debacle is not financial, but moral; the trust of a nation in its government has been badly damaged.’
‘It was inspirational to see the pictures of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as they celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary. Like any long-married couple, they have worked hard to achieve a high level of trust.’
‘Trust is not like a photograph, an image that appears in an instant of time. It is like a painting, the full shape of which develops over time as layer upon layer of colour is applied.’
‘Relationships, at any level, always start with a blank canvas. Over time, as each party proves their accountability and competence, trust is built up in layers. That applies not only to intimate personal relationships, but also to the more tenuous relationship between a government and its citizens.’
'In this case, there are procedures for dealing with any potential identity fraud, but as someone who recently experienced one form of ID fraud, I can tell you that banks are slow to follow-up unless the customer is prepared to chase them.’
‘It was sad that, on the day the Queen and her prince celebrated their deep, personal trust, people across Britain found that their government has squandered precious trust. It will take a lot of hard work to win it back.’
To read Mal Fletcher’s editorial, click here.
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