AIBU to think the government keeping “files” on teaching assistants is like something out of a dystopian novel?

[RadioMedia]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/21/uk-government-keeping-files-on-teaching-assistants-and-librarians-internet-activity

I think you need tin foil.

They can look at your social media - and don't need to download anything. A bit of research is all there is.

DWP does have the right to investigate bank accounts if they suspect benefit fraud.

But that is carefully controlled

Benefit Fraud Investigation Process - St Pauls Chambers

Officers can only make enquiries into benefit fraud where they have reasonable grounds to do so. During the benefit fraud investigation, they can:

• Undertake undercover surveillance
• Communicate with your place of employment
• Monitor your social media accounts
• Interview people that you know
• Check your bank statements to find information that may be useful to their investigation.
• Take photographs or videos for evidence

• Can DWP check your Facebook?

Yes, the DWP can look over your social media accounts, including Facebook. Whilst checking your social media, the DWP will be looking at your tagged pictures, any location check-ins or any posts that may incriminate you for benefit fraud.

What they don't AND can't do is simply go on to a database and say "Pull up CakeOrWines" social media and internet use and have that all there in an instant

I think it’s helpful that @WhiteHorseSpirit has told us about this database and who can access it, and it’s interesting that such a level of information is routinely used to determine who gets jobs etc. especially since political information is included. What I’d like to question is whether we want to live in a society that holds this level of information about people who are really quite nice and not dangerous in any way. And do we want to live in a society where nice, sensible people can’t speak at conferences or get certain jobs because they disagree with economic policy?

Sensing a bit of denial of reality here.
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/internet-connection-records-uk-surveillance

The article also mentions “encryption back doors” which the Gov has now made law:
Do you know the recently passed Online Safety Bill has clauses that limit end to end encryption. End to end encryption has been standard on even free emails like gmail, or msn etc for decades to protect personal information. The same with accessing shopping online, banking online. This bill puts that into jeopardy all with “child safety” as the excuse.

https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/20/uk_online_safety_bill_passes/

Although it remains to be seen if they can actually enforce the law…either way it is a green light for software added on that would scan everything we do online- pictures, text, bank transactions, shopping and oh, my a contract was let to BAE last year to potentially do that although a FOIA asking about it resulted in “can neither confirm nor deny” and “national security”.

Oh, on DWP investigating “reasonable grounds” is very very subjective and given Sunak declaring benefits claimants as public enemy #1 in his latest speech, the fact you claim benefits could be reason enough to be “checked” as it is up to the decision authority what is reasonable grounds and the Tories are as hostile towards benefits claimants as they are to immigrants.

‘Reasonable grounds’ to be flagged for full on investigation by DWP include being tagged by an algorithm……
https://privacyinternational.org/long-read/4397/shedding-light-dwp-part-2-long-days-journey-towards-transparency

It’s no stretch of the imagination to think that similar surveillance occurs for government employees that require DBS checks perhaps it’s “reasonable grounds” to get an updated departmental system report from the centralised system if the employee is, for example, invited as an official speaker to a conference? Where what they say could reflect poorly on the government?

I don’t want to live in such a world. Sadly the current issue with this TA is the tip of a stealthy iceberg - that’s why I have been posting info as this threat to privacy is much larger. I think we are on our way to such a world. It’s not affecting everyone yet, but is quietly being expanded to encompass more and more demographic segments of society.

Other than the whole 1984 angle, which PPs have highlightedthe extremely disturbing nature of.

Where do they find the money to do this (as it must surely be quite expensive) and why don't they put the money into actually educating children.

Those of us who opposed the online safety bill did try to point all of this out but we were called tin foil hatters.

This country is sliding into authoritarianism.

Sadly as the internet develops and living our lives online becomes more the norm, e.g. banking, shopping, storing photos and documents, it becomes easier for governments to monitor us. I think you would be naive to think that there are not people within government agencies/the security services whose job is monitoring social media. You only need to think of the algorithms which influence what comes up on your Twitter feed or on Facebook to realise that certain views or words will trigger interest in your posting.

All governments do this so don't think it will stop if Labour get into power. Their targets may just be slightly different.

I do however think it is appalling that this has been used to stop people from speaking at conferences if they hold ant-government views. This is definitely something people should be concerned about as it is only likely to get worse.

Don't forget that the UK has one of the highest incidences of surveillance cameras in public places in the world. You can be tracked easily by bank card spending, store loyalty cards and countless other methods.

Whilst we go about our lives normally this is not usually an issue for most people. The problems start to arise if someone does something which, although innocuous to them, flags an interest in those carrying out monitoring. This has always happened throughout the ages but it is just a lot easier to do now.

I was one (not on MN, but other SM) and yes the “tin foil hat” response was levelled at me then too.

It’s centrally funded. Costs DfE nothing to contact a POC in another Gov Department and request a report be run on so and so and sent to them.

The fact that certain government departments do not have direct access to this intelligence, doesn’t mean they cannot access information generated by it.