Your comments: You can run... but can you hide?

The use CCTV cameras has grown year on year in Britain

Thank you for sending us your comments on Panorama: You can run... but can you hide?

The debate is now closed but a selection of your views are published below.

Panorama: You can run... but can you hide? was shown on BBC One at 8.30pm on Monday 27 October 2008.

There is something completely wrong with this privacy debate. It is wonderfully debated, however, for what purpose? We all know, deep down, that whatever information is deemed necessary to be kept will be kept regardless of what we want. And how can an individual argue against this when it is positioned against terrorism & global warming? My opinion now is just get on with the database & be done with it - have whatever information you want, track whatever you want whenever you want because it is not until we get to this point that we reverse this pillage on TRUE freedom.
Patrick Cowen

Ending up in Orwell's cottage on Jura was really apposite. The almost total impossibility of avoiding 24/7 surveillance is frightening. It should be resisted at all cost.
Nikki Macleod

An interesting programme. The key argument against such surveillance which the government fail to realise is that there is no difference between a private company having my private information or a public organisation having my data. The recipients of the data are still people after all and be it a bank clerk a policeman or a nurse every man or woman is potentially a breach. In gambling there is a saying, only gamble what you can afford to lose. In data only store what you can afford to fall into the wrong hands because it will at some point to someone. On a personal note to the maker of the film if you are really interested in becoming a shadow, spread misinformation about yourself in the areas where people usually look. I can tell where information goes from which firm depending on the names I get through in the post that is guaranteed to shock.
James Edwards

Great programme tonight. The govt have a cheek to call it data protection, when it seems your data is anything but protected. If all this data is on the computers, why do we still see vans constantly checking for road tax? Also, it's a bad excuse to use catching terrorists as an excuse to examine everybody. Normal decent people are 99% or more in this country...
Donald Fraser

My wife has been told that her treatment notes 'may' be sent out of the EU for typing - what kind of security is this?
Philip Galvin

Yet another scare-mongering programme - it is such a shame to see the BBC dumb-down to the chav generation. The only people who should be concerned about 'Big Brother' are those who have something to hide - and that is how it should be. What is anyone going to do with my NI number? Or my old tax records? Or my children's name and address - how many paedophiles break in to your home? If anyone wants to listen to my phone calls or read my e-mails, feel free. I can assure you, it will be very dull...however, I am happy to think that the government might just overhear a suicide bomber planning his attack or a benefit cheat arranging his next job. It is good to have someone asking the question, I suppose, but don't make out that we are on the brink of social anarchy - there are people out there stupid enough to believe you and all the people who have been saying this ever since I can remember have been wrong so far...
Neil

Proof that Britain is de facto a police state.
C Goggins

While the reasons posited by our beloved politicians sound reasonable and fair, the scope for abuse is huge. As a case in point from personal experience, I have witnessed a police officer threatening to use anti-terror legislation to arrest a boisterously drunk friend. The officer in question may well have only been using the threat of a month in prison without charge as a tool to lever some compliance. But I feel it highlights quite clearly the willingness of those in authority to use whatever tools there are available, however inappropriate, to do what they feel is right. With proposals for a central database for all Telephone/VOIP Calls, Texts and E-Mails in the works has increased my level of unease my order of magnitude. Despite assurances that content will not be logged I am in no doubt that the functionality to do so is potentially no more than a mouse click away. And despite all the best intentions in the world, it's not about what our current government will do with all of our information at their fingertips but the next. After all, today I have nothing to hide but tomorrow I have no wish to be arrested for my critique on government policy.
Simon

Once again we have the appeal to tracking terrorists to frighten us into accepting ANPR as it has been used for other erosions of our civil liberties. The technology makes no distinction between terrorists and other people. It is of no help in respect of terrorism unless terrorists are identified in other ways.
John Dalton

Although I do not generally object to my data being held by the Government, I do think that things now are going too far. There is no reason I do not think for our every move to be monitored. We are very quickly losing our privacy in this country which is very concerning. Even our children are now going to be put on a database with a lot of personal information included which is not necessary in my view. There are great dangers here, if this information on children falls into the wrong hands, children will be in great danger I think. Tonight's programme highlighted the many ways in which the state can keep tabs on us all; it is very worrying our liberties are being eroded by this Government. With what care and responsibility will the Government look after our data and who will they blame if it gets lost, which happens all too often. No third parties should be used. Much of the information being gathered on us is sensitive and we hope correct and should be viewed only if absolutely necessary. I think we should all be very concerned, technology moves forward at an alarming pace which will allow the Government to watch over us even more in the future. I have no doubt they will with every opportunity being used.
Steve Fuller

I left the UK for Canada in 1972 and returned this year for the first time since I left. I watched your show tonight with complete shock and disdain and couldn't believe what I was hearing and seeing. What has happened to this country? And what is the government doing? Why do the people have no voice in this country? And why won't politicians listen to them? I have lived in both Canada and the United States of America and although they may have their own problems, they certainly don't have the "Big Brother" problems that the UK does. It's such a pity.
David McKinlay

After watching your programme you can run but can you hide� I was left wondering what happens when people leave a false trail... i.e (starting from a fake birthday certificate, insurance no. etc) how does that catch the bad guys!! MY GUESS is all these databases will do is put every honest person in the UK at risk... let's be frank here... all government databases thus far have gone missing!!! Oops I meant mislaid....If a false trail is laid at the start there is no way these data bases can detect someone is using any form of fake ID.
Debbie

I just got back from Flanders visiting my Grandfathers grave from 1917. My Father fought in world war two and I served for 22 years in the forces. I wonder what for after watching your programme. What a police state we have become and we are allowing the state to steal our freedom, a freedom good men and women fought and died to preserve. I would leave the country I fought for tomorrow if I could and it breaks my heart to see the sorry state we live in bearing down on us more and more. Now if you try to keep some dignified privacy you are hiding something! God help us, it's all very very sad. Please keep putting this abuse of our liberty by the state on the box, perhaps it may help stem the tide and bring saner minds to bear. Perhaps!
Steve Flinders

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