STT Week end 2nd September, page-19

Talking of big data. I have a huge bugbear about how much of an invasion of privacy it is that Gov's and big companies can pry into our lives with data collection. Has been something I have watched with disdain as it has evolved since 9/11 and the Patriot Act. I thought Oz was bad but here in the UK it is much worse. You cannot doing anything without a National Insurance Number, a NHS number and a postcode. What gets me is every single house has a personal postcode, so once you get somewhere to live, you are assigned a postcode and then you need this for everything, from seeing a GP to ordering a meal. People who live off the grid here truly are alone in the world and homeless, with nobody able to help without those above details. I was truly lucky to have spent 50 years in OZ.