Travel database to track British travellers movements
By Darren Cronian on Monday, February 9th, 2009

The government have featured a number of times in my rants lately and if I am not careful I’ll have the MI5 people tracking my every move. Well, funnily enough, they won’t have to if the government gets it’s way on creating a database tracking British travellers movements around the world.

Travel database to track British travellers movements

This travel database will record all data for flight, ferry and rail journeys and will be stored for ten years. According to the Travel Trade Gazette the details will include names, addresses, telephone numbers, seat reservations and credit card details.

Lost government data

I really hope this data is as secure as the lost inland revenue and child benefit data. It’s okay us having security to monitor terrorists, crime and immigration but if this data falls into the wrong hands it could do more harm than good.

Thinking about it I suppose if you have nothing to hide then you should not be concerned about them holding details of your every movement. On the other hand is this just a tactic to scare terrorists into thinking that the government is watching them.

Your opinions

Also, wouldn’t it be a massive administrative task to undertake, how are the airlines, ferries and train networks going to collect all of this information. Personally, I think it sounds like just another flawed government idea. I would be interested to hear your opinions.


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8 responses to “Travel database to track British travellers movements”

Jack | 9 February, 2009 at 11:20 pm

The idea is completely barmy, not to mention unworkable.

Maybe it ties together with the other nutty idea coming out of the government lately – to only allow each British resident two roundtrip flights per year?

This surveillance government has now jumped the shark. It’s not even humorous anymore!

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Darren Cronian | 10 February, 2009 at 9:46 am

@ Jack

It could also be the media jumping up and down trying to find stories because there isn’t any snow storms to report on.

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Simon | 10 February, 2009 at 10:46 am

Do you not think they do a lot of this already? I’m sure for certain routes they do. If you are a regular traveller to places like Karachi, there is probably already a file on you somewhere. This is just extending that.

The US government does it. I read an internet post of someone who requested all the information taken about him at every US border crossing. They sent him everything, but blacked out all the remarks, comments or anything personal about him, which rather defeats the object of being open about the records you keep.

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Darren Cronian | 10 February, 2009 at 12:24 pm

@ Simon

I agree on certain flight routes I am sure that they hold data on passengers. The freedom of information act will mean we can request information on our travel records if this go ahead but I don’t think they can get away with blocking out information.

I’m not sure if this is just the media spinning stories or plans are afoot, guess it’s watch this space.

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Craig McGinty | 10 February, 2009 at 2:24 pm

Hi Darren,

It’s definitely not ‘watch this space’ it is already here as part of the e-Borders scheme:

http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/faqs/controlling-our-borders/

And the database looks set to be homed in Manchester:

http://bit.ly/3LHo

And as for ‘you are OK if you’ve nothing to hide’ who sets the boundaries on what is or is not acceptable?

If anything such a database could see be more people worried about travel, remember passenger numbers to the US have dropped since onerous border controls were brought it, although they are hoping the Obama effect will turn things around:

http://bit.ly/9Fwq

All the best,
Craig

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Alastair McKenzie | 12 February, 2009 at 10:43 am

You seem very laid back about it!

It’s an Orwellian nightmare. New Stasi are putting together all the pieces of a giant relational database (National Identity Register) on its citizens and their activities.

Soon the totalitarian state will connect up everything known about you from your biometric ID, to your financial history, to your medical history, your children’s DNA (new births), your domestic travel (by car, by oyster card, etc), and in this case your international travel. (And hands up anyone who thinks that we won’t be voting electronically soon!).

Their latest assault on our freedom is hidden away in the Coroners & Justice Bill (Part 8, Clause 521). They want to amend the Data Protection Act to allow ministers to make ‘Information Sharing Orders’, enabling data gathered for one purpose to be shared with any official body and used for another purpose.

In short, everything they know will soon be shareable with any town hall petty official they deem fit. And how long will it then be before your bank details are left on the train, your children’s DNA records are sold to insurance companies, and your international flight details wind up in the marketing dept at British Airways?

LOL! You wanted a rant!!! Well there you go.
Best

Alastair

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Mark H | 15 February, 2009 at 1:00 am

Sometimes I think these ideas are sponsored by IT companies – more hardware, more software, more security, more backups and more programming jobs to make all this happen. And so much data in so many different places, that it is impractical to search anyway.

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Darren Cronian | 16 February, 2009 at 12:32 pm

@ Alistair

I probably was laid back when writing the blog post. Good rant though and some good points raised. I think the data protection changes are good for things like social services and education where more information needs to be spread around about adults and children, but for travel, it seems a little extreme.

@ Mark

You only have to look at the National Health Service to see how much of a mess IT companies have had with implementing new processes and systems like this travel database would be.

I hold no confidence and also cannot see it taking off, which is why I was laid back when writing the post.

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