FiL wants all our data

[HighlandCowSaysBooNotMoo]

My father in law works in a government role.
Today he put a message in the family WhatsApp group asking if we could send him our addresses, d.o.bs, mothers maiden names, our place of birth, our address history, previous maiden names etc.
Apparently he needs this info from his 4 adult children, their spouses (me included) , his own siblings and his siblings spouses, grandchildren, his in laws etc. Basically he is covering every member of the family and spouses etc over the age of 18.
He has put something light hearted about it being needed for an enhanced security check that he's been told he needs for his job.
He is not changing jobs or position in the company. He has been in this job for since my husband was a wee kid!!
A couple of people have responded straight away with their data.
DH says IABU not to share mine with his dad
What do I do?

I'd not be sharing it in a group chat situation that's for sure! But it is required for some roles for enhanced security checks, yes.

Possibly your information is more up to date than mine.

I had to apply for developed vetting in a previous role. This all sounds completely normal. They ask for spouses etc because you are his family, they will be making sure he isn't at risk of blackmail as a result of debts etc.

He hasn't explained it very well but it all sounds normal.

And no, the government wouldn't contact you themselves. They have many applications for DV going through at any time and it would take a very long time if they needed to find and contact all those people individually

I have 2 relatives that have jobs like this, its really nothing to worry about unless you have something to worry about. All they are looking for is persons who could compromise the employee . Armed robbers, known terrorists etc, they also do check political affiliations, they like to know but it won't affect the status of the employee .

It is 'big brotherish' but it is needed.

A dd has worked in areas where extremely stringent security checks are needed. AFAIK the maximum time a check is valid is 5 years so now and then she’s needed to repeat them.

In such cases I wouldn’t object to passing on whatever is needed.

Have done this frequently for exdp, as his son lives with me. Never thought anything of it to be honest, just knew it was for clearance.

Can't give too many details but my DS works in IT and was involved in a project recently that needed government security clearance. Everyone in our household had to go through vetting which involved all of the information you are being asked for. He wasn't allowed to tell us more than very sketchy details of the project and why the information was needed but he wouldn't have been allowed to work on the project if we hadn't all agreed to go through the security checks.

Not a chance in hell I would hand over all that info.

Why not? Chances are that the FIL knows a lot of it anyway. Is it really that confidential?

Even if it means your father could lose his job? Because that us the reality for some roles.

So much paranoia on this thread!! Quite bonkers.

I’ve done this several times for family and my own security clearance. Never gave it any thought at all!

Last year we did it for my son who was starting a new govt job. He had to supply the information, no one else contacted us. To be honest with you most of the family don't know about it as I knew all the details for my kids and 3 out of 4 partners.

I can't remember how long you had to go back with addresses but it can't have been that long as I remembered all the month/year, I couldn't have been more specific than that.

"HighlandCowSaysBooNotMoo · Today 00:06

No he hasn't explained it very well at all and if its all legitimate would his employers not contact us themselves for the information"

No. He has to provide it to a third party government department (Now the Home Office).
How would his employers contact you ? They don't know you.

"Not the point, but he's asking for addresses? He doesn't know where his own children/siblings/grandchildren live? Or when they were born?"

He probably just wants to make sure he has the right information. If you give them the wrong information it causes a hold up which can then affect your job.

Exactly that.

While this is clearly legit, your FIL sounds like a very self-important man who doesn’t think that his family deserve a proper explanation of why he is asking for this info -just give it to me because I am a Big Man with a Big Job. That’s rude and patronising, especially in these days of heightened awareness of cyber crime and identity theft.

I’d be having a quiet word and asking him to bear that in mind. He can explain the vetting requirements without giving away anything secret or confidential about his job.

Well it's just as well you are not my relative. 🤣
Do you not realise that these checks are needed to ensure that Government employees are not at immediate risk of blackmail?

Omg, his new partner might find out your BIRTHDAY 😱 and where you USED TO LIVE 😱🧟‍♀️🧟‍♀️😱

Elaborate on this.

My husband has just done the same as his security clearance needed renewing and he needed his parents details. It only lasts a set period of time.

DH was positively vetted so everything on the form posted above. There was also an extraordinary episode with a very articulate and quaint elderly lady who called at the house with a basket full of sandwiches and tried to oersuade me to buy some and was a bit "previous". Never saw her previously or since. When I reflected, I was pretty sure I was being checked out to see how I responded.

I had this when I moved office to another location where there was access to high level government data. Was v embarrassing to ask this info from my dads new GF as we hadn’t even met face to face yet!

If all that info is genuinely needed, I would expect the request to not be in a group WhatsApp so that I might be able to have a face to face conversation about how my info will be handed over and to whom.

Why not?

For the love of god will someone please domain what they think the issue is with giving out info that is easily found about you anyway?

My brother is in the army, he recently needed this, I didn't hesitate. He's my brother, what malicious intent could he possibly have?

As mentioned, this is normal and is for the regular enhanced re-checks for those that work for / on Government projects. Most only use the information once and on the re-check need to gather it up again, including any changes of course. You will be amazed how addresses etc., need to be asked for, as we know how to get somewhere but often not the actual address and as for birthdays .... they will certainly want parent and sibling details as part of the check.