West FM's Alan Shaw

Jul 25 2008

A FEW weeks ago I wrote about these discs of personal details which keep going missing.

Well, it looks like there could soon be even more information on us which will no doubt go astray at some point.

The government last week announced plans for a massive new database which will contain details of all our phone calls, text messages and even internet browsing.

There’s also a proposal for more Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras to track our every move on the road.

And you know what? I still don’t care.

For a start, phone companies and internet service providers already keep this information. And we’re being watched on cameras almost 24 hours a day as it is.

If someone were to sit down and track my movements, the only thing they’d find out is that I’m probably one of the most boring people in the world. A phone call to my dad, a Google search for garden sheds and a drive to B&Q will hardly make for riveting reading – whether it’s on a government computer or lying out the back in a skip.

I go on the principal that if you’re doing nothing wrong, there’s nothing to worry about.

Sure, if I was texting Bin Laden on a daily basis and using the internet for illicit purposes, I’d likely be caught. And quite rightly so.

But then, should I be wrongfully accused of anything, the information could be used to prove my innocence.

Sure, Big Brother may be watching, but it doesn’t bother me. As long as all the information gathered is used to protect us and help make the streets safer, it can only be a good thing.

However, if monitoring our every move turns out to be a way of looking to see where we can be taxed further, well, that’s a different story altogether.

On the radio this week, you’ve got your last chance to win with Ayr Central. Listen to Jen on Saturday morning to find out more. There’s also going to be a chance very soon for you to win your way into the prestigious ladies’ day at Ayr Races on August 9.

I’ll talk to you Monday to Friday from 6am on West FM for the Breakfast Show.