Nothing 2 hide, nothing 2 lose!

Regular NO2ID campaigners will both have grown used to, and been made weary by, comments by the confused such as “I've got nothing to hide”. This little mantra is trotted out as if it is the coup de grâce in the debate. It is, of course, nothing of the sort, it is meaningless. It is not an endorsement of ID cards and the supporting database.

The same people who trot out this remark would be justifiably horrified if their neighbours were sent copies of their health records. But of course this sort of thing 'never' happens. We can all sleep soundly while the state watches over us. Up to a point Lord Copper, up to a point!

For we now see that not only does the state lose our data if fails to protect it too. One would have thought that MI5 would be an organisation more than capable of keeping a secret. But it turns out that it has fallen down in this respect.

The breach of MI5 security that occurred recently is a "small issue" according to a Whitehall spokeswoman. Small for whom, is the unanswered question here?

Nothing to hide is all very well as a thoughtless comment but when it comes to keeping data how about “nothing to lose?” In other words the state should aim to keep the very minimum amount of data on its citizens based on the fact that all held data is vulnerable.

This is in direct contrast to the situation now where the state seeks to always increase the amount of data held and with no real prospect of improving its security.

An accident is waiting to happen, see here.