The film documents how much information is held about every one of us by so many organisations and companies – apparently for our own benefit. "I was constantly surprised and scared,” says David, “but the way we spy on children in modern Britain really tops it all: DNA samples taken from kids are held permanently, we have fingerprinting in schools, databases of troublesome children, CCTV in schools and in school toilets, even social networks are monitored by academic institutions.  All this makes surveillance a normal and unremarkable part of children’s lives nowadays."

 

It shows just how easy it is to find out everything about somebody using easily accessible information and some everyday technology, making it totally understandable why the UK is the third most surveilled country in the world.

The film also features interviews with people who have been victims of when databases go wrong, including a man convicted of possessing child pornography after his credit card details were used to subscribe to an overseas pornography website, and a girl refused a job after a Criminal Record Bureau check came back with a conviction she didn't have.

David speaks to a victim of the Stasi, a human rights lawyer and the author of the book, How to Disappear and other experts on just how much information there is about us out there. "I think we have reached the tipping point where many people feel that things have gone too far,” he says. “I am very hopeful that the balance will be redressed.  Fundamentally, the UK is a country that has a proud tradition of protecting personal freedom.  I don’t believe we’re going to throw that away."

It is totally understandable that the making of the film has changed David's life dramatically: "I always ask why when people want my data – is it really necessary?  How long will you store it?  What if I want to delete it?  Normally they have really bad answers to those questions.  I avoid the big retailers who really track our tastes and preferences.  I’ve opted out of the NHS database.  I signed the NO2ID pledge.  If the government introduces mandatory ID cards, I will refuse to carry one and will definitely refuse to give them my biometrics (fingerprints, iris scans).  Mainly, though, I’m just more careful.  And a little bit paranoid (in a good way, I like to think…)"

Your vote at the general election could make a difference. As David tells us "the Liberal Democrats are talking about bringing in laws to limit CCTV, to limit corporate data collection, to ban fingerprinting of kids and to stop local councils spying on us (which they do all the time).  They say they will also scrap the biometric passport and the ID card scheme.  The Conservatives are also pretty good about this stuff – they talk about wanting to restore the balance between civil liberties and the database state.  So it is possible to put more protection in place.  Until then – you have to protect yourself.  That’s why we’ve produced privacy guides for individuals and parents at www.erasingdavid.com."

Accompanied by a Michael Nyman written score, Erasing David is chilling but essential viewing for anyone who doubts how easy identity theft is, or for anyone who has not yet learnt to shred every scrap of paper with personal information on it.

 

Don't Panic have two tickets for the film's opening night at the Brixton Ritzy on Thursday April 29. After the screening there will be a live debate between David, acclaimed author Will Self, composer Michael Nyman, Liberty head Shami Chakrabarti and David Davies MP. To win the tickets email william@dontpaniconline.com and answer the following question:

 

Who founded privacy campaigning organisation Liberty?