[ExI] id theft in o-care

Anders Sandberg anders at aleph.se
Thu Oct 10 09:32:04 UTC 2013


On 2013-10-10 09:02, BillK wrote:
> Well, it is a government system, so they already know most of the data 
> they are asking you for.

Who are "they"? The government as a whole may "know" everything, but 
within each compartment it might be impossible to get all relevant data 
together. The DMV cannot just ask the NSA for a current photo of you.

I remember hearing the head of a UK drug enforcement agency complaining 
about that despite giving a direct order, his subordinate agencies were 
*unable* to tell him - after months of research - how much methadone 
they were handing out. The Swedish government simultaneously knows and 
does not know where I live: I get tax bills to the right UK address, but 
the healthcare system has me in a database of "unfindable citizens" 
while the pension system thinks I live in the wrong place.

Government-sceptical Americans seem to have undue faith in how well 
governments actually work.

(But badly managed sites that can be hacked should be a concern)

-- 
Dr Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University




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