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Papers consider data records loss (Turmoil and Anxiety in the UK)
BBC ^ | Nov 21 2007 | BBC

Posted on 11/21/2007 2:10:32 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper

"Someone gave a disc containing confidential information about 25 million people to a bloke on a bike? And he lost it?"

Alice Miles, writing in the Times, sums up the outrage and disbelief over the security breach at Revenue and Customs.

The Daily Mail says it is a case of "sheer, mind-blowing incompetence and stupidity... in a class of its own".

The Daily Telegraph describes it as "the mother of all starter-kits for identity thieves".

- The Guardian says the loss of 25 million personal records is "the most fundamental breach of faith between the state and citizen".

The paper describes how MPs gasped when Chancellor Alistair Darling told the Commons about the blunder.

The Independent says seven million families are having to make urgent checks on their bank accounts.

The prime minister and his "embattled" chancellor were counting the cost to their reputations, the paper adds.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: uk
Needless to say, a Huge political own goal.

As I understand it, they had been desperately trying to find the 2 missing disks for weeks before the news broke last night.

Obviously if the package was misplaced it would have been found by the scores of people now searching for it.

I think the concern is not so much that the information has fallen into criminal hands, that would be bad enough. But that foreign agents quite possibly are the ones planted in positions to look out for exactly this kind of opportunity. And what kind of havoc could be unleashed with all that information? That's what I am concerned about. I hope they just simply find the disks but by this time it doesn't look likely.

I am definitely watching "question and answers" on TV today from the House of Commons. If you can, you don't want to miss this!

1 posted on 11/21/2007 2:10:34 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper
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To: Berlin_Freeper

This is beyond incredible.

Thanks for posting this up.


2 posted on 11/21/2007 2:21:59 AM PST by Cindy
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To: Berlin_Freeper

I hope the bloke didn’t have a turban and beard.


3 posted on 11/21/2007 2:30:45 AM PST by Romneyfor President2008
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To: Berlin_Freeper
Cheers To our Ex-pat Freepers this morning - Thanks for the post!
4 posted on 11/21/2007 2:34:55 AM PST by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

You see, THIS is why 1984 is still fiction. The British Government isn’t competent enough to run a totalitarian state.


5 posted on 11/21/2007 2:39:59 AM PST by agere_contra (Do not confuse the wealth of nations with the wealth of government - FDT)
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To: agere_contra

Hmm, I bet Milliband knew about this, and this is why he’s been distancing himself from Brown.


6 posted on 11/21/2007 2:41:15 AM PST by agere_contra (Do not confuse the wealth of nations with the wealth of government - FDT)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

25 million? Good Lord...there are only 60 million people in the entire UK including children.


7 posted on 11/21/2007 2:41:48 AM PST by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something.)
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To: Earthdweller
But how would you know there were 60 million people in the UK, - unless you had a CD of their names and addresses!! Guards!! Guards!!
8 posted on 11/21/2007 5:15:02 AM PST by agere_contra (Do not confuse the wealth of nations with the wealth of government - FDT)
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To: agere_contra
LOL :)~

So what are your thoughts on this? Is this every name of every working person? And I wonder what the "information" is. I hope it's nothing that will be harmful.

9 posted on 11/21/2007 7:46:39 AM PST by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something.)
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