Journalist, editor, analyst and trainer on computing, government, climate and data
Bigger databases may mean greater efficiency for the state and private sector, but they could also mean more unwelcome intervention into our personal lives. SA Mathieson reports
In 2004, I spoke to up and coming MP David Cameron (my local MP, who I profiled here) about his opposition to government database plans such as identity cards. In 2011, as prime minister, he caused this to happen.
Read more about ID cards in my book, Card declined: How Britain said no to ID cards, three times over – including the full version of the interview with David Cameron. Continue reading “Knowing me, knowing you”
The Soham murder trial highlighted the use of mobile phone tracking. But how effective is the technology for consumers, asks SA Mathieson
A look at the accuracy of mobile phone tracking services for the Guardian, and the ethics in using them to track children. I have also written about how networks track users and how the technology is used by the emergency services.
Continue reading “Eyes on the child”
David Blunkett’s plan for a national ID card has sparked a furious row. But will it work? And how? SA Mathieson investigates
This was written based on a relatively early version of the plans for ID cards in 2003. I wrote about the identity card scheme from 2002 through to its destruction in February 2011. All articles on ID cards.
Continue reading “Image problem”
In 2012, the government is considering telling companies to provide personal data in a machine readable format. But as long as you don’t mind getting wodges of paper you have been able to get this data for many years, under the Data Protection Act (something I also used to find the base stations used by my mobile phone).
This is what I found out for the Guardian about my own shopping and web-surfing habits in 2002: the costs and time limits still apply, and I have updated links and contact details. Freeserve no longer exists, but in general the following would remain my advice for anyone wishing to access their data, unless there’s very obvious information about subject access request processes on the organisation’s web site.
Continue reading “Track your every move: using the Data Protection Act on supermarkets, ISPs, banks and telcos”
This was the first of several articles I wrote on mobile phone tracking of users for Guardian Online, with later articles on services using the same technology to track children, and to let the emergency services locate callers.
Continue reading “You can ring, but you can’t hide: mobile phone tracking of user locations”