Paranoid secret squirrel threatens virtual citizen privacy

I guess it had to happen, given the current climate of fear amongst governments in the US and UK regarding the so-called terrorist threat. Don’t get me wrong, I take the whole national security debate as seriously as the next rational citizen and am aware that terrorists are capable of perpetrating the most abhorrent of acts. However, I am also aware that governments see the current climate as being an ideal launch pad from which to bring in draconian laws that can impact upon the privacy of every citizen, good or bad. The arguments are always the same: if you’ve done nothing wrong then you have nothing to fear. I am afraid, however, that I do feel very real fear when 5 million kids have been fingerprinted and are on a database which could be used in case they do something wrong in the future. I am afraid I do feel fear that my DNA can be routinely taken and stored on a national police database even if the original arrest is proven to be in error and I am released without charge, again just in case I do something wrong in the future. And I do fear that a report by US intelligence officials which suggests virtual worlds such as Second Life are a breeding ground for international terrorists is a warning of yet more erosion of privacy that is set to come our way in the near future.