It's an ironic example perhaps, but the loss of a memory stick containing the personal details of criminals proves once again the inanity of believing that innocent people have nothing to hide. From CDs lost in the post to documents left on trains, the government has shown itself to be completely incompetent when it comes to protecting the personal data it currently holds. Increasing that information (by way of a National ID Card Database, for example) only magnifies the risk.
The issue is not whether normal people have things worth hiding (anyone with a bank account automatically passes that test). The more pressing questions are why the government needs our data and how they guarantee to protect it. It's up to them, not us, to justify erosions of our personal liberties. So far, they've failed on both counts.
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