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New Nottingham Defy-ID Bulletin

Nottingham Defy-ID | 14.04.2008 07:36 | Repression | Technology

Nottingham Defy-ID's 6th bulletin is out now, containing information on the latest developments with the National Identity Register, new police powers, surveillance of university students and the extent to which the state is already snooping on us.

You can check out the latest bulletin and all previous bulletins on our downloads page:  http://www.nottingham-defy-id.org.uk/downloads

The grim reading might make you feel powerless but we have come up with some ideas about how people can resist these developments in social control.

Do not cooperate

Refuse to comply when you are commanded to submit to the registration process. Do not surrender your details and do not agree to fingerprint or iris scans. The system can only work in the way in which the government wishes it to if it is possible to gather the details of a large proportion of the population. A campaign of mass refusal can stop this from happening.


Take action

The scheme entails the construction of a number of registration centres, bases specifically constructed for the data-gathering project. Private companies will be heavily involved in the implementation of the scheme. These centres and companies all have addresses (we have a database of them), and can be visited.


Protect your own anonymity

Resisting and defeating the ID legislation will not, in itself, protect your anonymity. The culture of surveillance and the widespread gathering of information for corporate and governmental use necessitate an attitude of care with regard to personal information if you are serious about limiting the accumulation of data about you.


On the street...

* Be aware of your rights to remain anonymous and the legal limitations on the power of the police to demand your details.
* Exercise caution in any dealings with the police and consider what information you are giving away about yourself.
* When on demonstrations consider concealing your appearance, if it seems appropriate.


On the internet...

* Think about what personal information you wish to make available on the internet.
* Take steps to anonymise your browsing.
* Make your online communication more secure.


Elsewhere...

* Think about the information you disclose in other contexts, for example through using store loyalty cards, by filling in official forms, by participating in customer surveys, et cetera.


Help others affected by the scheme

The consequences of the scheme will be somewhat different for each person, depending, for example, on their financial situation, the legitimacy of their presence in the UK in the eyes of the state, and so on. Different groups are going to be targeted at different times, some people will be especially more immediately and seriously affected by the scheme than others. The intention is that the ID system will be used to control access to services, resources etc.


Spread the word

Protecting your anonymity is easier in a wider culture of anonymity, and so we need to develop such a culture. Inform others of the current situation and what can be done to resist it.

Nottingham Defy-ID
- e-mail: info@nottingham-defy-id.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.nottingham-defy-id.org.uk