First-time applicants for passports may be asked about their
credit card debts - which is one result of a link between public
and private sector databases.
Similar questions may be asked in future when individuals apply
for
ID cards, though not at the initial roll-out of ID cards in
Manchester, when applicants will not need to attend an
interview.
A senior civil servant at the Cabinet Office said at a
technology roundtable in central London this week that a credit
agency is supplying the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) with
suggested questions to ask applicants for passports at their
interview.
The civil servant cited the link between the IPS and the credit
histories of individuals as a positive example of how citizens will
sometimes accept the sharing of sensitive data between the state
and the private sector if there is a clear benefit: in this case a
new passport.
But some privacy campaigners may see the linking of private and
public databases as evidence of state intrusion into peoples'
lives.
Applicants face the questions on their credit histories when
they are interviewed for new passports at one of the Identity and
Passport Service's 68 enrolment offices. The offices opened in
2008.
As a check on their identity, all first-time applicants for
passports aged over 16 must be interviewed and accept that the
Identity and Passport Service will obtain information about them
from various databases, including one run by credit agency
Equifax.
The IPS has confirmed that it is using information from the
credit card firm Equifax and from other sources to build a profile
of applicants before they are interviewed as part of enrolment for
new passports. Its spokesman denied that specific questions are
recommended by credit card agencies to be put to passport
applicants.
Computer Weekly has learned, however, that the IPS is seeking to
have questions for applicants at enrolment generated automatically
as a result of data sharing between public and private sector
databases, including those run by credit agencies, and information
given on application forms.
The IPS
says that the questions it asks applicants will be based on
information given in the application form and from "lawful searches
of other public and private sector databases, including credit
reference agencies".
An IPS spokesman said: "'When carrying out interviews with first
time adult applicants we use information, including credit history,
held by public and private sector organisations as part of the
process to verify the applicant's identity.
"This is not a detailed credit check but an identity check to
confirm that the person exists and is active in society.
"This also gives us the confidence that the applicant is who
they say they are and are resident at the address provided before
the passport is despatched to them. Both the application form and
IPS website makes it clear that we will be making this check to
verify the identity of applicants."
Picture from Rex Features.