Management
Technology
- Applications
- Business Intelligence
- Development
- Hardware
- Mobile & Wireless
- Networking
- Internet
- Operating Systems
- Security Products
- Servers & Datacentre
- Storage
Toolbox
Training
Books
White Papers
Webcast
Resource Centre
October 26, 2009
Police creating £9m database of protesters
Thousands already thought to be recorded on the system
By Leo King, www.computerworlduk.com
The police are building a £9 million network of databases to track protesters, it has emerged.
Advert
Details of people who attend political rallies and protests are being stored, even if the individuals have not committed a crime, in a move likely to incense civil liberties groups.
The technology in use remains unknown, and the Association of Chief Police Officers, which will run the databases, could not immediately comment.
Under the systems, ACPO will monitor individuals termed as “domestic extremists”, which includes those suspected of peaceful action and civil disobedience, the Guardian reported.
The National Public Order Intelligence Unit, part of ACPO, will link its central database of protesters to the network. A second database of vehicle registration plates, logged by roadside cameras and marked as attending protests, will also link in, alongside data and photographs from specialist surveillance teams.
Police at protests are issued with ‘spotter cards’ showing photographs of people judged as presenting a risk to safety, the newspaper reported. The data is taken from the database network.
In an example of the data being held, one man with no criminal convictions has been stopped 25 times in less than three years after his car numberplate was logged at a small protest against game shooting, the newspaper reported.
But Anton Setchell, who runs the ACPO ‘domestic extremism’ work, said if people find themselves on the databases they “should not worry at all”. He insisted there would need to be “proper justifications” for adding people to the network.
Follow highlights from ComputerworldUK on Twitter
Sign up for our Daily Newsletter
The UK IT News widget Get it for your site!
« prev article | more government & law news | next article »
Advert
Email this article to a friend or colleague:
PLEASE NOTE: Your name is used only to let the recipient know who sent the story, and in case of transmission error. Both your name and the recipient's name and address will not be used for any other purpose.
- This article is now being printed.
What are your views on this subject? Use the form below to post a comment on this article up to 1000 characters.
Click below to add 'Police creating £9m database of protesters - Public sector organisations - ComputerworldUK' to your blog.
If you do not have a ComputerworldUK Account and would like to use this feature, please Register.
If you are a registered, logged-in user, this will post the title and first paragraph of this story to your blog to share with your readers.
Advert
Newsletters
Our Daily & Weekly Newsletters highlight breaking news, vital issues, expert analysis and solutions to help you stay ahead of developments in the industry.
WHITE PAPERS
-
Legal risks: Employee use of the internet and email
Exploring the challenges facing IT Mangers today and vital steps to ensure safe internet an email use by employees. -
Phishing for victims
This White Paper examines the phenomenon of phishing. It explains the potentially catastrophic threat it presents to all kinds of organisation. Exploding some widespread myths, it lights up the murky waters where phishing first emerged and where it continues to evolve. But it also highlights what your business can do to blunt the threat.
