This is the 1/2 hour guide to beefing your privacy. The 101 for how to live a rather more personal existence.
1. Take the NO2ID pledge
The first step is the hardest. Pledge that you won’t be doing with any ID cards if the government insists you have one. This take the shortest time but it states your right to control the government databases that you are on. Join the cause. Sign the pledge. (Notice that NO2ID does not demand any personal information.)
2. The big NHS opt out
This how they got David. You’d like to think that a massive database with all our health records on is a good idea. But you’d be wrong. No is the time to opt out. Once they upload your records, you’ve sod all chance of getting any kind of control over them ever again. This website does the letter for you in around 30 seconds. Yes to have to press print and then sign and post it. Sorry.
3. The local register
Getting off the edited local electoral roll means so much more than drawing a line in the sand with the state. Not only do credit rating agencies use the edited roll to check you out – but local governement sells it to private companies, who then track you and market to you. Yuk.
Local authorities produce two versions of the register. There is a Full Register that can be inspected, and a slimmed down version that is available for marketing purposes, which is called the Edited Register.
If you want to have your name omitted from the Edited Register then either tick the box on the electoral registration form when it comes around in the autumn or click here..
Enter your postcode, then click on the email address link at the bottom right of the page and send the following email:
—
Dear Local Authority,
I wish to opt out of the edited version of the electoral register.
NAME:
ADDRESS:
Please confirm when you have done this.
Thanks,
(NAME)
—
Done!
Congratulations, you are taking control of your information and on the path to a more private life…
Unfortunately the data you have to provide to register to vote will be passed on to the three credit rating agencies whether you opt out or not of the edited register. Of course opting out is sound advice. More details at http://gizmonaut.net/blog/uk/2009/09/voting_optional_registration_compulsory.html
Comment by David Mery — November 19, 2009 @ 12:31 am
Es conforme, este pensamiento admirable tiene que justamente a propГіsito
Comment by fodicve — January 5, 2010 @ 7:53 am
The author of erasingdavid.com has written an excellent article. You have made your point and there is not much to argue about. It is like the following universal truth that you can not argue with: If a program is useful, it will have to be “improved”. Thanks for the info.
Comment by payday loans — January 25, 2010 @ 7:17 am
Some people may be slightly confused by the assertion that “NO2ID does not demand any personal information”, since we do have a form on our website that lets you fill in your address if you want to hear more from us.
Anyone can take the pledge, and we *don’t* want you tell us you have: We want you to tell your friends.
We do ask for contact details, if you want to join NO2ID’s mailing list. But you can join the campaign under a pseudonym and pay for your subscription in used fivers if you like. NO2ID doesn’t confuse the minimal authentication necessary to conduct a transaction or maintain a relationship with a “need to know your identity” as officialdom often does.
Comment by Guy Herbert (General Secretary, NO2ID) — April 18, 2010 @ 6:24 am
Many people are confused by threats of £1000 fines if they don’t register on the Electoral Roll and think there is a legal requirement to do so. This is simply not true. There is a legal requirement for the Electoral Registration Officer to ASK you to register. There is no lawful requirement to actually to do so. The moment that happens is the moment we no longer live in a free country. Think about it.
If you think otherwise show me the LAW that says otherwise.
Don’t confuse statues with Law. Legal does not equal Lawful.
Comment by Henry — May 6, 2010 @ 6:34 pm
Henry,
> If you think otherwise show me the LAW that says otherwise.
See section 23(3) of The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 (No. 341)
http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?parentActiveTextDocId=2546419&ActiveTextDocId=2546455
(More info in the post I linked to in my earlier comment from November.)
Comment by David Mery — May 8, 2010 @ 12:44 am
David,
You posted a link to a Statute. An ACT. It speaks of Persons. Are you a Person or a Human Being? Do you know the difference between a flesh and blood Human and a Legal Fiction?
Like I said don’t confuse Statutes (Legal) with what is Lawful. They are two very different beasties.
Search for “John Harris – It’s an Illusion” and you’ll begin to see where I’m coming from. Whether or not you agree is another matter. Doesn’t really affect me in the slightest either way, if you get my gist.
x
Comment by Henry — May 9, 2010 @ 12:43 am
Henry, the electoral registration form states clearly (I can’t quote directly as I’m at work the now) that you have an obligation to register, and if you don’t that you could be liable to a fine. The Act which David kindly points to is also clear:
“(3) If any person—
(a)
fails to comply with, or
(b)
gives false information in pursuance of,
any such requisition of the registration officer as is mentioned in this regulation, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.”
So legally there’s a requirement to register and you could be prosecuted under criminal law if you don’t. In practice, with millions of citizens not registering, the State’s unlikely to prosecute if only because of the sheer cost. I don’t register for political (anarchist) reasons, too many to list here, and also because I don’t want to be easily tracked by a private company or individual. Neither do I want to sit on a jury in judgement on some poor fellow worker.
Out of curiousity, does anyone know the current ‘abstention rate’ from registration? It would be an estimate, naturally, but it would be interesting to know. If only 60% or so of the registered electorate votes in a general election, then that’s a low enough figure already – if that electorate is itself only, say, 80% of the eligibile population, then it’s likely that under half of the adult population takes part in elections. Which has a major deleterious impact on the ‘authority’ of any administration.
Comment by Gerry — May 27, 2010 @ 7:08 pm
It would be amazing to get an estimate of the number of non-registered people. Gerry do you do other things relatively normally (e.g. are you honest in the census / are you registered with a GP etc)? I know this will sound very naive but I had no idea that non-registration was an option – or at least an option with only limited sanctions. Thanks.
Comment by David Bond — May 28, 2010 @ 2:40 pm