Tuesday 19 May 2009

ContactPoint child database goes live despite security fears

John Leyden writes in The Register:

The Government has announced plans to push ahead with the next phase in launch of a controversial child protection database, despite ongoing concerns about the security of data held on the system.

The delayed ContactPoint system, which is due to include names and addresses on every child under 18 in England, will be accessed by frontline care workers in real-life trials for the first time from this Monday.

Security experts contacted by El Reg remain concerned that information housed on the database might leak out despite ministerial assurances on security provisions that will accompany the roll-out of the directory system.

From Monday onwards social workers, police, schools and health officials will have access to data held on the ContactPoint database. The start of frontline trials, announced in the House of Commons last week by Children’s Secretary Ed Balls (Hansard extract below), follows repeated delays in the development of the system.

Sunday 10 May 2009

Manchester not so keen on ID's

Manchester Radio station Key 103 reports on its web site:

We’ve been on the streets of Manchester getting reactions to the announcement.

Everybody we spoke to said they would not be volunteering for the cards or they couldn’t commit at this point. It’s been a lukewarm reception in the North West.

You can listen to the vox pops here.