I’m glad to see the government getting bullish about data sharing. We can’t hope to deliver serious efficiency gains or joined-up thinking if we can’t join up the information we already have.
I’m bemused by the examples quoted by both sides of the argument, though. Joined-up information helping prevent people becoming homeless? I wonder if that stems purely from Pat McFadden’s joined-up remit for social exclusion and e-government. And from the Tory side… a threatened tax on scenic views? Which Budget was that in?
Here’s why the world needs information sharing. I was waiting in an office reception this morning, as the receptionist called a steady stream of clients and correspondents to tell them her company had moved premises. A year ago.
Yes yes, Big Brother and all that. But in a nation covered in CCTV, where TV retailers grass on you to the licensing people (and have done so for years), do you really think we have any privacy left as it is?
It’s time to trade the illusion of privacy for some tangible benefits.