http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_headline=big-brother-s-watching-you&method=full&objectid=20314544&siteid=93463-name_page.htmlBIG BROTHER'S WATCHING YOU
PEOPLE investigation reveals astonishing number of ways THEY can spy on US..
By Rachael Bletchly
Rachael.Bletchly@People.Co.UkWe are bugged and spied on more than anyone else in the free world - and it's all LEGAL, a shock People investigation can reveal.
More than 800 bodies - from Whitehall departments to supermarkets - can check intimate details of our lives.
And the movements, habits and even genetic profiles of every one of us are logged an average of 300 times a day.
But as cyber-crooks learn to hack into Big Brother's information goldmines, we are all at risk from blackmail, bullying and the erosion of liberties.
Some snooping is vital to thwart crime. But polls show 80 per cent of Brits no longer trust the Government to keep our personal details secret. And in a flurry of recent high-profile cases, Labour MP Sadiq Khan, pictured below, was allegedly bugged visiting a terror suspect in prison and hundreds of lawyers have said they were targeted by eavesdroppers while advising jailed clients.
David Murakami Wood, of the independent Surveillance Studies Network, called it "shocking".
He said: "Most people don't understand how the information is used.
"For example, details of supermarket loyalty and credit cards are bought and sold to other companies to provide complex profiles of individuals." Our damning dossier on these pages reveals some of the ways we are monitored every day.
But in the future, new spy technologies will include: Remote-control helicopters called spy-drones which are fitted with CCTV cameras.
Smart cards for pupils to let parents check attendance, academic performance, eating habits and even drug tests.
Microchip implants for kids so families can track them.
Mini-cameras fitted to lampposts and walls and linked to spy-drones to monitor people in Britain's streets.
Biometric tests for job-seekers to highlight genetic illnesses.
And psychometric profiles to scrutinise the lifestlyes of potential employees.
AERIAL SURVEILLANCE
High-resolution online aerial photos are available on map websites like Google Earth and Microsoft's Virtual Earth. A new service from 192.com zooms in close enough to identify individuals in the street, allowing snoops to monitor our every move.
SATELLITE TRACKING
Some insurance companies insist that satellite tracking systems are installed on young drivers' cars as a condition of giving them cover. Police also have a legal right to track movements of all cars and keep the details on record for over five years.
CATALOGUES
If you join a catalogue your bank details go to thousands of other firms in the Abacus datasharing consortium which holds info on 26 MILLION people.
FINGER PRINTING
Seven million sets of fingerprints are held in Britain. The US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Britain are in talks about sharing fingerprints, palm and iris prints via a huge database called "Server in the Sky".
DNA DATABASE
The national DNA database set up in 1995 to help police now stores the unique genetic fingerprints of four million Britains. One million of those have never been convicted of a crime but had their sample collected as a witness or suspect.
BIOMETRIC PASSPORTS
New passports carry Radio Frequency Identification chips encoded with personal information. But security experts fear the chips can be cloned by hackers to steal the holder's ID.
FOREIGN TRAVEL
America's Fbi is given names, birthdays, addresses, sex, phone numbers, email addresses, credit card details and nationalities of all transatlantic air passengers within 15 minutes of take-off under an EU deal.
PHONE TAPPING
Police can bug phone calls and emails at the request of more than 800 bodies, including councils and NHS trusts. Almost 1,000 people a DAY are snooped on. UK and US government spooks spy on calls via the joint Echelon computer system that spots key words.
HELMET CAMS
Many police forces now use mini cameras hidden in officers' helmets, allowing them to monitor and record people they speak to while on duty. The portable systems can store hundreds of hours of material and provide instant playback on a small screen.
OYSTER CARDS
More than six million commuters in London use the pre-paid Oyster card system. Police use of the smart card system to track suspects shot up 300 per cent in one year - sparking fears it could lead to a black market in cards.
INTERNET SEARCHES
Every website visited is logged and can be accessed by snoops. All search engine queries are monitored and can be used to build up a person's profile. Google - who make billions from advertising - can target users with online ads tailored to their lifestyles. In 2006 AOL accidentally released 20million users' search queries.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
Sites like Facebook and MySpace are easy-pickings for spies and hackers. Many users willingly list their personal profiles, intimate information and even embarrassing photographs of themselves.
NHS FILES
A £32BILLION NHS computer system is being uploaded with files on 50million patients. Staff will have access to confidential details of illnesses, sexual health, affairs and paternity tests.
CAN CAMS
Mini digital cameras hidden in baked bean and empty drink cans are being used to trap people illegally dumping rubbish. The £7,000 cams are left in notorious dumping sites to trap fly-tippers.
TV DETECTORS
Detector vans were launched 45 years ago but today's hi-tech handheld detectors can trace licence dodgers in individual flats in huge blocks. More than 25million of Britain's 28million homes do have a licence but 1,000 evaders are caught each day.
MOBILE RECORDS
Details of every mobile call and text made are stored by phone companies for 12 months.
Mobiles may also be used to track people's movements. Even when switched off, signals are logged by phone masts. Experts measure their strength to pinpoint somebody's whereabouts through triangulation.
PROPERTY DATABASE
Council tax chiefs access a database of 16million homes to update bills. Estate agents pass details of sales or rentals to a firm with a £6million government contract.
TRAFFIC CAMS
The Automatic Number Plate Recognition system will link up more than 1,000 traffic cameras tracking our car journeys. The infrared cameras can read 3,000 registration plates an hour on vehicles doing up to 100mph.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT CAMS
Travellers on innocent trips for business or leisure are spied on every step of their journey. Buses, trains, Tube stations and airports all have CCTV. Pedestrians are caught on dozens of cameras in city streets.
SPEED CAMS
More than two million motorists are now caught by Britain's 6,000 speed cameras every year - logging their whereabouts at a specific time.
SURVEILLANCE CAMS
Vans check on cars without tax, MOT or insurance. Private clampers can also trace vehicle owners by contacting the DVLA.
CCTV
Britain has 4.2million CCTV cameras. We are captured on camera around 300 times a day in town centres, car parks, bus lanes, traffic junctions and at cash machines.
LOYALTY CARDS
More than 30million customers have cards with 160 companies. Every purchase is recorded and customers are made offers based on buying habits. Experts claim they can predict major life events for holders like marriage, pregnancies and divorce.
