AS04: The battle for privacy

Civil-liberties infringers top privacy advocate

In this age of re-regulation, the balance between fighting crime and maintaining security both online and off is tipping toward the enforcers. But, as Jo Best points out, there's still hope for the little guy - and a positive contribution from virus writers.

This year's Agenda Setters list features a number of individuals that highlight the ongoing battle between the struggle of the individual to keep himself to himself and those who see electronic identity as an open book.

Home Secretary David Blunkett figures high on the list, at number 5, of those associated with privacy. He is the man accused of single-handedly trying to erode the UK's civil liberties.

Blunkett has so far scheduled, despite vehement opposition from both left and right wing politicians and the public, the introduction of the ID card. Despite worries over the insecure technology, spiralling budgets and accountability, Blunkett is set to catalogue the biological details of UK citizens.

As well as leading Britons into the biometric era, Blunkett is showing his agenda setting prowess with privacy but demonstrating, if proof were needed, that ID is a commodity that comes at a price.

While Britons didn't object to having their most personal of details being pored over by faceless government types, they objected to the fresh tenners they'd have to shell out to get one of the cards. Blunkett promptly punted about the idea to drop the charge. Expect the card plans to continue apace.

Like Blunkett, Tom Ridge, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, also makes an appearance in the top 10, one spot above Blunkett at number 4, thanks to his desire to lock down civil liberties.

Blunkett and Ridge, according to the panel, are leading the tech vendors to embrace regulation with the promise of fat cheques.

Ian Angell, Agenda Setters panellist and LSE professor, said: "This is going to be a huge money spend for IT tech companies. David Blunkett and Tom Ridge... are part of [the crowd] that are driving [re-regulation]."

Another LSE fellow, Simon Davies, was picked as an Agenda Setter but for having an opposing agenda to Blunkett and Ridge. Davies has been campaigning against tech's many infringements into the public's privacy.

Providing vocal and entertaining opposition to web censorship, ID cards and RFID in passports, Davies is Blunkett's counterpoint. However, while Blunkett and Ridge score top 10 positions, the civil liberties defender only scraped in at number 50.

Another thorn in the side of authority, albeit one on the wrong side of the law, also made the list at number 19.

While pioneering teen virus writer Sven Jaschan is staring down the barrel of a prison term, the panel thought his contribution to technology was more than hours on the phone to a helpdesk and a few extra grey hairs for tech support.

Richard Sykes, panellist and chair of trade association Intellect's outsourcing group, said: "What [virus writers like Jaschan] are doing is reminding us of the weaknesses and fallibilities and the human-being damage to the systems. And therefore they are an immensely useful challenge to the system...They are the unsung heroes, we need them, they are like an inoculation."

He added: "You need the Sven Jaschans to create the awareness and the understanding of how weak things are. And you need the Len Hyneses to keep things under control."

Hynes, head of the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU), comes in at number 31 for leading the fight against the online mischief-makers. Who's had the greater success in their particular battle is of course a matter of debate - Jaschan infected millions of computers, while Hynes warned us about a new menace called spyware.

That said, 2004 marked the year when several virus writers were caught - some proof that the malware merchants and identity thieves don't always get an easy ride.