A ‘Big Brother’ database is being built by the Government
to store details of millions of our international journeys for up to
ten years.
The computer system, housed at a secret location on the outskirts of
Manchester, will record names and dates of every movement in and out
of the UK by air, sea or rail.
Reservation and payment details, addresses and telephone numbers, names
of travelling companions and even details of luggage carried will also
be stored.
Ministers insist the database, part of the Government’s ‘EBorders’
project, is vital to the fight against terrorism, illegal immigration
and organised crime.
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But as details emerged yesterday, opponents warned that the spy system
– which will track the 250million journeys in and out of the country
each year – amounted to another building block in Britain’s
growing surveillance society.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: ‘The justification
is always about security or personal protection.
‘But the truth is that we have a Government that just can’t
be trusted over these highly sensitive issues.
‘We must not allow ourselves to become a Big Brother society.’
