Children of Big Brother

8:45am Thursday 1st February 2007

Thousands of children as young as three could be fingerprinted without their parents' consent as part of a hi-tech identity checking scheme.

A computerised "biometric" system already used in some schools to let pupils borrow library books is to be introduced across West Sussex schools and nurseries later this year.

It could lead to children's diet, reading habits and other personal data being held on a central database.

Last night opponents of the move branded it an example of the "nanny state gone mad" and civil liberties campaigners warned it could breach children's human rights.

Some schools, including Thomas A Beckett in Worthing and Oriel High in Crawley, have already acquired fingerprint scanning machines for use in their libraries, thought to cost £1,100 each.

This allows pupils to use their prints as identification when borrowing books instead of a traditional library card.

Schools across the county now plan to extend this to children buying school meals.

The Government has confirmed that parental consent is not needed for the data to be taken from children.

The council said the decision on whether to use biometrics was entirely down to individual schools but said a number were now considering it.

MPs told The Argus they believed the data would be used by the state to build "Big Brother" databases and said paedophiles could hack into it to identify vulnerable children.

Bognor and Littlehampton MP Nick Gibb, the shadow schools minister, said: "There are a lot of parents very worried about this at the moment - the fact it's being done without parental consent and the fact it's being done at all.

"At the moment you can in America pay for goods using just your thumbprint but there is a difference between a credit card company such as Amex having your personal details and the state having them.

"Once the state has these details it has all sorts of powers over you and I don't think that is a road we should be going down. In the future, biometric and personal data is going to be very valuable and people have a right to keep it personal."

Shadow children's minister Tim Loughton, who is MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, said: "I'm very concerned this is another step in the surveillance society that has expanded and grown enormously under this Government.

"While there may be some short-term advantages, there is a distinct smack of a Big Brother about this scheme, which will enable the Government to use information on children for all sorts of purposes in the future.

"The other problem with this sort of technology is it could lead to paedophiles hacking into it and identifying vulnerable children.

"It is typical of this Government. It is an example of a nanny state gone mad."

Campaign group Privacy International said: "The use of such systems will desensitise people to more comprehensive privacy invasion - such as ID cards and DNA testing."

Schools minister Jim Knight confirmed the Data Protection Act did not require parental permission before biometric data is taken from children in schools.

However, he said schools should notify parents the technology was being used.

Gill Smith, headteacher of Oriel High School in Maidenbower, Crawley, said the system her school uses is perfectly secure and works well.

She said: "There is nothing sinister about it at all. It's not linked to a central database or any Government information centre. We're perfectly happy with the system we have."

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