School Children's Finger Prints Taken Without Consent!

[Magilla 510]

Firstly, Magilla could you please provide a source for that story? If it is true and accurate as you've described it then there is clearly a significant problem.

 

Unfortunately I can't, it was one of about 20 examples on a Channel 4 program transmitted last year when the big debate on ID cards was running.

 

I'll try to find the details of the program on the CH4 website (but I can't remember what it was called).

[David C 10]

"examples on a Channel 4 program transmitted last year when the big debate on ID cards was running..."

 

Here are one or two of the most well known cases. There are plenty more.

 

ID cards 'will allow crime fingerprint checks' - Blair goes back on promise

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/20/nidcards20.xml

 

Shirley McKie, a former Scottish police officer falsely accused by experts from the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) of leaving her thumb print on the bathroom door frame of a murder crime-scene - Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_McKie

 

U.S. To Pay $2M For Attorney's False Terror Arrest - CBS News

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/29/national/main2216468.shtml

 

Student handed victory after fingerprint mix-up - local news report

http://www.blackpooltoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=62&ArticleID=1696937

[thenewborn 10]

How long before someone says "nothing to hide, nothing to fear", not me, that's just a quote.

 

 

that would be me

 

 

more cctv cameras, more police, tougher punishments.

[David C 10]

I have just found a far better account of fingerprint errors:

 

"The Real Crime: 1,000 Errors in Fingerprint Matching Every Year"

 

http://www.livescience.com/othernews/050913_fingerprint_mistakes.html

 

Hope this is helpful. (It is certainly disturbing, in the light of previous posts on this topic).

[Phanerothyme 12]

I would have thought something like glueing rfid tags to a thumbnail, or even simple wristband (livestrong type) with an rfid tag in would be better. More hygienic, more reliable, easily annulled and replaced in the event of loss.

 

As Cyclone points out, quite apart from any aspects of civil liberties, the govt interest in biometrics (dozy politicians baffled by new technology lobbied by silicon snake oil salesmen) means that the industry is becoming something of a potential cashcow. (it's profitable already, but imagine getting the biometric recognition contract for all UK secondary schools, for example)

[nick2 10]

Do we know which school is doing this yet ?

 

Or is it, as I suspect, just scaremongering ?

[sarah1 10]

Do we know which school is doing this yet ?

 

Or is it, as I suspect, just scaremongering ?

 

My daughter has had her fingerprints taken at school..

I didn't get asked for consent or any letters stating that this would be happening, which I don't agree with..

 

As to why they have taken her prints, I don't know...

 

I've just realised that I should have questioned this..

Why I haven't, I don't know...

I'll ask my daughter when she comes home why they needed her prints..

 

Edit to add, My daughter goes to Winterhill Comp in Kimberworth..

[David C 10]

"Do we know which school is doing this yet ?"

 

You can find a list of schools that are taking children's fingerprints at

http://www.LeaveThemKidsAlone.com/schools.htm#fact_01

 

There are about 400 schools listed there by name, but it is known that at least 5000 schools are doing this across the UK.

 

I notice that Chaucer Secondary School in Wordsworth Avenue, Sheffield is one of those listed.

[David C 10]

You might also be interested to see some examples of letters that schools send to parents when they are about to fingerprint children:

 

http://www.leavethemkidsalone.com/betrayed.htm#fact_01

 

...and the blog of one parent in Bradford who tried to do something about it:

 

http://www.naseem.co.uk/education/school-fingerprinting-just-a-bit-of-fun/

[dieselbabe 10]

I remember it been done to me when i was at primary school and it was said it was just for fun so to be honest i dont know if i got mine on the system now thinking about it, this was going back years ago and im 31 this year so it was a wile back, i did not know they still did it. My daughter not had hers done yet but i dont think i would mind as long as i knew about it been done then i have no problem over it.

[David C 10]

I remember it been done to me when i was at primary school and it was said it was just for fun so to be honest i dont know if i got mine on the system now thinking about it, this was going back years ago and im 31 this year so it was a wile back, i did not know they still did it. My daughter not had hers done yet but i dont think i would mind as long as i knew about it been done then i have no problem over it.

 

Brian Drury is a computer security expert. He says "If a child has never touched a fingerprint scanner, there is zero probability of being incorrectly investigated for a crime. Once a child has touched a scanner he or she will be at the mercy of the matching algorithm for the rest of their lives."

 

http://www.LeaveThemKidsAlone.com/expert.htm#fact_01

 

The problem is that even with only criminals' fingerprints on file there are mismatches. We might regard this as acceptable as criminals often reoffend, so it's a quick and easy way of eliminating suspects before making further enquiries.

 

But once you start fingerprinting everyone, loads of totally innocent people will find themselves having to account for their movements. We are creating a nation not of free citizens, but of suspects. If I've done nothing wrong, why should I have to prove who I am to the government. It shows a total unreasonable and unjustified lack of trust on their part. And why on earth would they need the fingerprints of a five year old child???

 

Mr Clever Criminal will go to a lot of trouble to arrange a watertight alibi for himself on the day of the heist. Mr Innocent might simply be at home alone watching TV - but how will he ever prove it?

[alchresearch 214]

"if children were fingerprinted and dna taken, then in later life it would be so much easier to pin point the offender eg: rapist."

 

This assumes that:

 

(a) we're all potential suspects, not citizens with rights to privacy

 

 

Not necessarily. If there was a rape in my area and DNA evidence was left, I'd like to be automatically eliminated rather than having the indignity of the police coming to my house or place of business to take me away to eliminate me from their enquiries just because I had the same build and looks of the alleged attacker.

 

Yet again people start spouting on about "civil liberties" when:

 

a) This technlogy doesn't affect them (they probably don't even have kids).

 

b) Haven't seen the system in action and seen it working.