December 4, 2007
If you’re a fugitive from the law — or even if you’re just super paranoid about your privacy — you might want to steer clear of a new biometric payment system which has been implemented at about ten Shell gas stations in the Chicago area. The biometric payment system, developed by San Francisco-based Pay By Touch, works by linking a user’s fingerprint to his or her credit card or checking account. For now, customers must scan their fingertips at a kiosk inside the gas station – however, Shell is reportedly considering the idea of having the scanners installed on the pumps to facilitate even faster payment.

But what if the scan taken could be linked to other databases – even be cross-checked against the NCIS database? We’ve heard about how this technology can be used to create “theft proof” smart cars which can only be used by the driver registered to that vehicle. And now it appears the technology can be used to verify a credit card user’s identity as well. But where is the fingerprint information stored and who has access it? Is it possible that, one day in the future, even people wanted for minor offenses, such as failure to appear in court or failure to pay child support, could be “nabbed” by police at the local gas station or some other store, should they attempt to pay using this new system?

Of course, I’m intentionally being absurd … obviously, Shell is using the technology to see if it will provide a new level of convenience for its customers … it probably has no intention of using it proactively as a crime fighting tool. Furthermore, if you’re on the run, you’ll probably be smart enough not to use such a system.

Still, as adoption of this technology grows — and if one day it becomes ubiquitous — one can’t help but wonder what role it might play in identifying and tracking people as they move about and make purchases. By the same token, one can also speculate whether it might be possible for the bad guys to use this technology against consumers: For example, maybe someone will come up with a way of “faking” people’s fingerprints, as part of an impressive effort to steal their identities.

Shell is reportedly the first gas station company in the U.S. to install biometric payment devices. The company is also reportedly testing hand-held wireless devices that allow full-service customers to pay electronically without getting out of their cars. For more information, check out this article.

[…]

TCMNet

‘What if’. That is the question. TODAY they are not linked to any other databases, but it would be trivial to do so, and government would have no problem in compelling gas stations or anywhere else from providing real time access.

Like we and other people have been saying for ages, they will use this to cut off your life, making you a ‘non person’ at the press of a button, so that you cannot eat, travel or, as in this case, buy gasoline. They could even use it to ration gasoline and food in an ’emergency’.

IF you think that they will not try to do this, you are delusional; and we don’t have to take breath to talk about the ‘accidents’ that can happen where your identity is stolen or corrupted. We have had some very good examples of how that works.

This article is cautious, but the writer has the main points nailed; this is something to be VERY cautious about; do you REALLY need to save three minutes at the pump? Are those three minutes worth your irreplaceable fingerprints? You can already pay at the pump by swiping your card without even entering the station proper – there is no advantage in using your fingerprint to facilitate transactions; this is a completely faddish and pointless exercise. Period.

Child database system postponed

Ministers are postponing a new database on every child in England, pending a security review and changes to the system including its access controls.

Children’s minister Kevin Brennan told MPs there would be a five-month delay to the £224m system, ContactPoint.

The security review was ordered after the loss of child benefit discs.

ContactPoint holds name, address, date of birth, gender, parental contact information, details of school and any professionals working with the child.

It does not include actual case records.

The database came out of the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie and is designed to make it easier to co-ordinate the work of different child protection agencies.

‘Questions raised’

Mr Brennan said in a statement: “Over the last few months we have been considering the substantial stakeholder feedback we have received and looked at the implications that the resulting proposed changes could have on the system.

“It is clear from the considerable work we have done so far that we will need more time than we originally planned to address the changes to ContactPoint which potential system users suggested.”

The change to the timetable will mean deployment to the “early adopters” local authorities and national agencies in September or October 2008, and to all others by May 2009.

Mr Brennan said the loss of the Revenue and Customs child benefit data “has raised questions about the safety of large scale personal data in other government systems, including ContactPoint”.

An independent assessment of security procedures would be undertaken by Deloitte.

“Delaying the implementation of ContactPoint will enable the independent assessment of security procedures to take place as well as address the changes to ContactPoint that potential system users have told us they need,” Mr Brennan said.

He added: “The fundamental design of ContactPoint will not change; the alterations will make sure the system works even more effectively for users and improves the ability of local authority ContactPoint teams to manage user access.”

Shadow Children’s Minister Maria Miller said: “The government should also use this opportunity to see whether it really is necessary to have a database for every single child in the country, accessible to 330,000 people, given the significant amount of concern that this could overload the system and lead to a dumbing down of information.

“We have always supported, as an alternative, a slimmed-down tightly controlled database which focuses on those genuinely vulnerable children.”

[…]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7115546.stm

My emphasis.

This is one of the most absurd statements ever. Just when you thought that they couldn’t get more stupid, we have the imbecile ‘Kevin Brennan’ saying they need more time to CHANGE THE VERY NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE and RE-DEFINE THE RULES OF MATHEMATICS before they roll out ContactPoint.

The fact is, you computer illiterate JACKASS, no matter how long you delay it, not matter what you do to re-design it, data will always be copyable, and if you put together ContactPoint in the way it has been planned, it will still be copyable. Read how this is going to be done, in evidence already submitted to you. Even if you make it difficult for insiders with root level DB access, wholesale copying WILL take place on a page by page basis. Remember, there are going to be 300,000 people with authorized access; it will be impossible to monitor them all, like that PHD’s submission says.

No amount of security reviews will be able to stop people from printing off ContactPoint pages. Deloitte knows this. The alterations you are talking about will do nothing to reduce the risk you are putting all the children of the UK in.

These are the FACTS.

ContactPoint MUST BE ABANDONED COMPLETELY, and it is absolutely sickening that you and your inhuman child harming monster colleagues are pushing on with this abomination.

Looks like the ‘intelligence agencies’ smell the coffee and do not want to get the chop from a Ron Paul Presidency and strongly Constitutionalist Congress. There is a video out there where a Ron Paul supporter promises that not only will Ron Paul become president, but that they are going to, “replace the congress with people who follow the Constitution”; if this sentiment is wide spread, CIA will know about it and will now be trying to undo the perception that they are a tool for warmongers, regime changers and mass murderers.

Or maybe not.

Look at the news of this report:

Israel contradicts US findings on nuclear Iran

Mark Tran and agencies
Tuesday December 4, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Iran claimed today that its peaceful nuclear intentions were clear after US spy agencies concluded that Tehran had stopped its nuclear weapons programme in 2003.

Asked about the US national intelligence estimate (NIE) report that has undermined the hawks in Washington, Iran’s foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, told state radio: “It’s natural that we welcome it when those countries who in the past have questions and ambiguities about this case… now amend their views realistically. The condition of Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities is becoming clear to the world.”

[…]

In its assessment, which was made public yesterday, the US NIE on Iran, a consensus of 16 intelligence agencies, concluded that Iran had suspended its attempt to build a nuclear weapon. The unclassified summary marked an abrupt U-turn in the US view that Iran was intent on acquiring nuclear weapons, undercutting administration warnings about Iran’s intentions.

[…]

However, he said: “We cannot allow ourselves to rest just because of an intelligence report from the other side of the earth, even if it is from our greatest friend.”

[…]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2221663,00.html

My emphasis

The obvious thrust of this report is not what Israel thinks of it, but that the report has been released at all. It is in absolute contradiction to Murder Inc.’s plans to attack Iran. Its release is signifigant; we all remember that it was the sexed up dossiers and bogus intelligence that was used to falsely drag USUK into an illegal murderous war. Now it seems that these agencies are trying to clean up their act. But why? Why should they care now that Iran or any other country is about to be attacked? Why are they now deciding that telling the truth inexpedient or not is the right thing to do? One conclusion is enlightened self interest. If they feel under threat from the Ron Paul Revolution, they might conclude that stopping another illegal and murderous NeoCon crusade action would be a good way to take the heat off of them. Once again, who knows.

Finally, the words of Ehud Barak (triplet digression: Ehud Barak Obama!) are going to come back to haunt Israel. A Ron Paul Presidency and Constitutionally minded congress is going to say with absolute unanimity, “what has that country on the other side of the earth got to do with The United States of America? Even if they are our greatest friend”.

UPDATE

BBQ:

[…]

‘Astounding’

“This is an astounding conclusion,” said Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

“The assessment in 2005 that Iran had a nuclear weapons programme was based on evidence from a hard drive handed over by defector.

“Since then Western intelligence agencies have tried to find out if Iran had continued with that programme. In fact, they have decided that it did not.

“This is a new and important development. It removes any possibility of a military strike in the next year. There would be no substantive cause and no public support.

“It also shows that lessons have been learned from Iraq. The US intelligence agencies are determined to show their independence from political influence.”

[…]

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7126429.stm

‘The assessment in 2005 that Iran had a nuclear weapons programme was based on evidence from a hard drive handed over by defector ‘ Another Chalabi move – all these ‘defectors’ are liars and power hungry monsters. This is transparent to anyone with half a brain cell. But I digress; it seems that everyone now thinks that the heat is off and that at the very least, the intelligence agencies are distancing themselves from Murder Inc.

Plenty of time for that trip to Isfahan!

The telegraph has a good news poll; most people are now against the ID card. Of course, these polls are bogus because the questions they ask are misleading, but that is irrelevant now.

The most important part of this story is a comment attached to it written by an acting police man, who says:

I’ve been a police officer for many years and the police aren’t exactly known for being strong proponents of civil liberties. However, most of my colleagues seem to be coming to the conclusion that this identity database is a step too far. We are moving towards a Big Brother state in which everyone is treated like a criminal by compulsory interrogation, fingerprinting, photograph, numbering and then being subjected to state monitoring of your movements and activities. Personally speaking, I’d rather leave the force – and the country – than submit to this and I have made plans accordingly.
Posted by Bison on December 3, 2007 9:30 AM

Without the cooperation of the police, how can you run a police state?

I guarantee you that many civil servants are equally opposed to this insanity, and it is them who run the backroom operations of a police state. Doctors are already committed to rejecting the database state as it applies to them:

Family doctors to shun national database of patients’ records

· More than half would seek specific consent
· Security fears dominate concerns, poll shows

John Carvel, social affairs editor
The Guardian Tuesday November 20 2007

Nearly two-thirds of family doctors are poised to boycott the government’s scheme to put the medical records of 50 million NHS patients on a national electronic database, a Guardian poll reveals today.

With suspicion rife across the profession that sensitive personal data could be stolen by hackers and blackmailers, the poll found 59% of GPs in England are unwilling to upload any record without the patient’s specific consent…

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/nov/20/nhs.health

The whole thing is falling apart.

The only part they managed to roll out is the completely evil biometric passport; this will be rolled back as soon as people start to see their personal details stolen from their passports turning up where they should not.

We may yet get Great Britain back!

Human garbage like Jacqui (who has the must utterly appalling dress sense) Smith are however, determined to go down with the ship:

[…]
However, at the weekend Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, continued to defend the scheme and said the inclusion of fingerprints would ensure the data’s security.

“I will be able to be confident that my identity… will be linked to my fingerprint so just knowing who I am, where I live and what my bank details are will not be enough to be able to take my identity,” she said in a television interview.

“It is an increased protection even against times when people’s biographical details are stolen or lost.” […]

Biometrics cannot “ensure the data’s security” this is fairy dust talk from a computer illiterate incompetent.

Your identity is not “linked to your fingerprint”. Your fingerprint is linked to a record in a database that has information about you. That is NOT your identity, that is a database record. If someone changes your database entry either deliberately or accidently, say, changing your address, then your ‘identity’ is damaged and since nincompoops like you believe that the computer cannot be wrong, all your financial transactions will be stopped because your paper documents and your database records are out of sync. Of course there is the more serious matter of having a crime you did not commit attributed to you, but we have discussed this ad nauseam.

It is not the government’s responsibility to guarantee the identity of citizens, and it is totally immoral for them to try and compel everyone to submit to this violation.

Jacqui Smith, the adulterer Blunkett, vile porcine lie-machine Charles Clarke and Jack ‘Straw Man’ Straw are all guilty of trying to foist this abomination on the free British people, and now that the public are waking up to this, their shame will be eternal.