US arms company and UK census

[woodavens]

http://censusalert.org.uk/index.html

I'm another person who doesn't normally do these petitions*, but the prospect of a US arms company being contracted to run the next UK census sends shivers down my spine.

*yes, I've also signed the HE funding one.

Comments

[woodavens]

The originators of this petition write:

* The Census rules mean that every household will be legally obliged to provide a wide range of personal information that will be handled by the chosen contractor.

* Lockheed Martin produces missiles and land mines which are being used in Afghanistan and Iraq and which are illegal in many countries.

* They also focus on intelligence and surveillance work and boast of their ability to provide ‘integrated threat information’ that combines information from many different sources.

* New questions in the 2011 Census will include information about income and place of birth, as well as existing questions about languages spoken in the household and many other personal details.

* This information would be very useful to Lockheed Martin’s intelligence work, and fears that the data might not be safe could lead to many people not filling in their Census forms.

Census Alert is therefore campaigning to stop Lockheed Martin from being given the contract.

The campaign is supported by the Green Party, politicians from Plaid Cymru and Labour, and others opposed to the arms trade and concerned about personal privacy.