Thursday, November 22nd 2007
United Kingdom Loses Digital Records of 25 Million Citizens
In what's very likely to be the worst technology blunder of the century, the United Kingdom appears to have misplaced the records of 25 million citizens. It all started when Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) decided to send two disks containing the birth records, bank accounts, insurance numbers, and all manner of other important personal information of 25 million citizens to the National Audit Office (NAO). The majority of the 25 million citizens whose information was on the two disks were recipients of Child Benefits. HMRC shipped the information out via post on October 8th, and on November 8th the NAO discovered that they did not have the two disks. While the British government spends their time pointing fingers at each other to properly determine who is at fault (you can read a more descriptive version of the drama via the source link), an American convict-turned-FBI Fraud Investigator is working hard on the case, and suspects foul play.
If you live in the United Kingdom and feel that you may have been affected by this fraud, the government has set up a hotline for you to call. The number is 0845 302 1444.
Source:
DailyTech
If you live in the United Kingdom and feel that you may have been affected by this fraud, the government has set up a hotline for you to call. The number is 0845 302 1444.
49 Comments on United Kingdom Loses Digital Records of 25 Million Citizens
I've been a little more careful with my computer components - my PSU is an iGreen, supposedly RoHS compliant and more efficient because of its Active PFC (nothing new now, but it does help waste less). My motherboard, I'm not too sure about, but I'd say it's RoHS compliant as well, there's no excuse not to be really. I bought this CPU as OEM, so barely any packaging. My motherboard's and GPU's boxes are both bio-degradeable (although I've not thrown them out, I'm reusing them, like basically every other box I have, in-house recycling :D). There's plenty more, but still, I guess leaving my PC on a large portion of the day (hardly ever leave it on 24/7 unless it's doing something useful) doesn't help, although my parents are weighing up the advantages of changing electricity providers, and I've put in my thought on changing to one that's more green.
I do think that, if we overturned the government, it would be all-out anarchy, and eventually, someone would take up power, arbitrarily, by force, or by election. There are the leaders, and there are the sheep. There's also a middle-ground, which is the intellectuals that realise that having one person in power is not beneficial to most of the people, but that don't have the say to really change anything.
I'm glad someone share my opinion. We are stupid as a collective, and I certainly scare a few people, by occasionally just saying out loud "Stupid, puny human scum", whenever I see something dumb going on, or whenever there's a delay, or a strike, etc.
WTF! Losing 25million records.
Gordon Brown needs to fall on sword.
Rest of cabinet needs to walk the plank.
she forgave me though, she's on her way over with toasted subs
I really don't like how the UK is becoming a socialist country.. the government is pretty much robin hood
Why do the government feel the need to involve themselves in EVERYTHING? Especially when they keep making a massive tits up of everything! Just leave people alone, leave businesses alone etc and most problems will sort themselves out
Except, the "rich" aren't really "rich"
Well, earn over £35k a year and the government will take 40% of anything over that amount
Not to mention national insurance costs about another £1500 a year
IMO 35k isn't a huge salary and it certainly does not make you rich. Yet for some reason, someone earning 40k is in the same tax bracket as a footballer making 2-3m per year, or an investor making 20m per year!
You seem to be punished for doing well in this country. Earn more, and you lose a LOT more in tax. It's not just the income tax either. With your bigger salary you will want:
A bigger house - so you pay more stamp duty, more council tax
A better car - so pay more road tax
Plus 17.5% of VAT on top of everything you buy
However if you drop out of school at 16, get pregnant (or get a girl pregnant) you can have everything given to you on a plate!
Bloody teenagers, when will they learn ay?
The point is that people who are very hard working deserve to be rewarded more than those who are not. Trying to make everyone in society equal is futile and stupid.
Besides, it actually hurts people at the bottom end of society anyway by giving them less incentive to work. Think about it - when you donate to a charity in Africa they say "don't give this man a fish - give him a fishing rod." Well why do we seem to have an endless supply of fish here? lol
There is no reason you can not succeed in the UK if you are willing to put the effort in. There are so many free college courses and qualifications on offer, and lots of places will take you on and train you in a profession if you take some initiative.
I'm not rich or a snob - it just drives me mad that I work so hard and yet others do not, but have things given to them instead!
Anyways, man that would suck to have to get all that back together...
What a mess.... Hopefully things get solved quickly, smoothly and correctly.
I'm moving to HK in a few years. Top in the world for economic freedom. Your money is your own to spend as you want. Take responsibility for your own actions.
If you want to blow all your money on hookers, drugs and gambling that's fine, but no-one else will help you out of your mess.
It's been reported that another 6 discs are also 'missing'. Why is it that I find things that aren't funny, funny? You make it sound so easy.
P.s. J/k for the last line..
We now have no more snack machines, and the drink machines are full of bottled watter/flavored sugar-free water.
Yes it may be for the better, but why shouldn't the school make this decision?
Or even better - why not the parents who send their kids to the school? If you are trying to make your kids eat healthy and they keep buying crap at school, get enough parents together and ask them to remove the vending machine. That's how it SHOULD work!