More on Identity Theft plus Data Harvesting (data on all of us...)

A programme on BBC3 caught my eye last night and I'm glad it did.  I've not been aware of this BBC3 series called Mischief before, but it's now on series 3 apparently.  Having had my card details stolen more than once and possibly my ID (earlier this year), I was keen to watch the episode entitled "Your Identity for Sale".  I wanted to know what information was in the general public domain about risks.  If you missed it, you can watch it here on BBC iplayer.  And I really do recommend that you watch it for some tips on your own protection.  It has plenty of humour to keep it light and moving along, but there are serious messages in there.

Key highlights for me included:

• A trawl through how Facebook works and its terms and conditions.  Hmm.
• How "opt in" clauses can be delivered (a Data Protection Act measure, see note 1 below), with little regard to real and operational contract terms.  (And how premium cost phone lines are used by sky to enable their customers to "opt out" when announcing a change to T&Cs.)
• How much information a leading retailer (e.g. Tesco in this case) may have on the consumer due to enrolment in the clubcard scheme.
• How easy it is for your details to be given away to a stranger (albeit it will be far less so in the case of Tesco after that programme).  The presenter of the programme, Rebecca Wilcox had a scene where she discovered someone's key ring on the pavement and it had a Tesco clubcard fob.  She called Tesco and managed to get the address, followed by the owner's name, in order to return it.  To be fair on Tesco, their response to this was to tighten procedures.  But, the result was - if the discoverer of the lost property calls Tesco as the first stop - the phone operative will advise to drop the keys off to their nearest branch, or, the police station.  In the case of lost property, I'd say the first port of call remains the police station and it worries me that the finder may call Tesco as a first stop and be encouraged to take the property to Tesco first.  NO!  Just because there is a clubcard fob does not mean Tesco comes first.  The owner comes first at all times - the police station remains the first stop.  The keys remain the owner's and not Tesco's simply because of the fob!
• Being horrified at the spend on the Information Commissioner's Office in comparision with the FSA and Health & Safety (a quick flash of a graph on screen).
• Being horrified at the reaction of the ICO representative's reaction to the evidence presented.  I know they seek more powers and funds, but it came across to me that they had more or less given up.
• The reaction of the minister responsible for DPA in this present government.  He may have had good humour about what was presented to him, but I consider it misplaced.  You don't have to have a public profile to be at risk.  (Having one increases your risk by the way.  Call it "easy fodder".)

One last point here.  Where the humour served a purpose for a very serious topic, presenter Rebecca Wilcox's impersonation of David Attenborough when seeking out her "subject" at the office of sky in west London was a treat!  It had me laughing...

Remember, this all about your data in others' hands.  So please watch the show here .

Note 1: the "opt in" or "opt out" clause is about allowing your data to be passed or sold to another body from the immediate body with whom you interact and transact and declaration is a requirement of the DPA to protect your data.  It's in the commercial interests of many to become canny and pull the wool over your eyes, if they can, when confirming your choice.  They earn money while data on you goes...  Exactly where altogether?

Note 2: the piece of data about you that is most sacrosanct is your date of birth.  Remember that this also applies to your children.  Data harvesting of children online by criminals (not covered by the programme) leads to data stored for future use, e.g credit applications by criminals purporting to be the child as soon as the child comes of age.  A date of birth is something to treasure and protect; it should only be divulged and used for security purposes for good reason.  Ditto your mother's maiden name - a far too often used security check.  Shared that one with your bank?  Let it remain there and there only.