PPS Numbers and “Cradle to Grave” Tracking
April 20th, 2006
Cian Murphy gave an interesting talk on the privacy implications of PPS numbers at the recent IALT Conference:
Since September 2003, the PPS Number has been allocated automatically on the basis of birth … A PPS number is required for revenue purposes in all employment, for welfare receipt, local authority grants and tax relief at source. It is, in effect, almost impossible to function in the State without a PPS number.[...]
While originally the list of bodies concerned was relatively limited, the spread of use into areas of security and the private sector, albeit to a limited extent, makes it increasingly likely that it is only a matter of time before the Number is universally used.
[...]
The PPSN is clearly well on its way to becoming a national identity number … From birth, a person’s progression through different life events will all be capable of being monitored through the use of a single eight digit number: full ‘cradle to grave’ tracking will be possible.
With his permission, the full paper is now available here .
Entry Filed under: DRI, ID Cards, Mass surveillance
13 Comments Add your own
1. Use of PPS Numbers.. at D&hellip | May 3rd, 2006 at 1:01 pm
[...] Here is the link to that post… http://www.digitalrights.ie/2006/04/20/pps-numbers-and-cradle-to-grave-tracking/ [...]
2. Damien Blake | May 3rd, 2006 at 1:06 pm
I fully believe that the PPS number has the potential to streamline the delivery of state services, but it’s absolutely vital that the use of such data is kept above board and (perhaps most importantly) out of the hands of private companies.
I have not had a chance to read the linked paper, but it’s good to see the issues being and discussed.
3. The Private Security Auth&hellip | June 30th, 2006 at 2:04 pm
[...] Wow? Lets look at the first one again “Valid Tax Clearance Certificate”, this has nothing to do with the Authorities aims as quoted earlier “…instil customer and public confidence in this multi-stranded, multi-faceted business with the introduction, control and management of a comprehensive, standard driven, licensing system for all individuals and companies involved in the industry and to do so in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of the market.” instead it is acting as a servant of the Revenue Commissioners, and incidentally recording peoples PPS numbers. Now I’m not involved in the Security industry and I don’t mind about this Authority in particular my concern is over the increasing regulations in Irish life, lets use the term “over-regulation”, it seems that once a parliament exists it must keep making legislation! [...]
4. ann humpries | January 18th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
hi how would i get my daughters pps no she is 8 years old
kind regards
ann
5. The Amadan | February 21st, 2007 at 12:38 am
Ann,
you can call your social affairs or revenue (!) office I think. They at least have them for adults. She may not have one though as she hasn’t earned a salary yet or turned 18 and I think that may have been an earlier precondition to receive a pps.
anyone else know for sure?
6. babey | March 30th, 2007 at 7:42 am
I would like to work in ireland
7. Digital Rights Ireland &r&hellip | July 16th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
[...] It’s also important to remember the wider problem revealed by those cases. The government has adopted a policy of matching up various databases using the individual’s PPS number as a unique identifier. This applies to areas as disparate as schools, healthcare, taxation and local authorities. This creates new risks of abuse by allowing public officials easily to access information from other public databases, and potentially allowing an individual to be tracked “from cradle to grave”. [...]
8. barry | October 20th, 2007 at 10:06 am
I downloaded and read this paper when it was originally published and I was so appalled I gave a copy to Jim O’Keefe, then the FG spokesman on justice (I am apolitical, but there must be some way of raising the issue) Jim phoned me and said he had raised a number of related matters with McDowall, Social Security, Revenue, etc. He didn’t get any coherent answer, just the usual waffle about confidentiality, passwords, audits….
He agreed with me that there is no point of responsibility for data inside the public sector, only the Data Commissioner’s office which is an after the fact agency, to all intents and purposes. He also agreed that it appears that data co-ordination, of itself not a bad idea, is left to the IT people, there is no policy.
The joke is that even the IT people cannot cope, viz., the nonsense of the driver data having to be re-entered into a database before penalty points could be allocated, there being no common element in the 26 county based files of driving licenses…..
Subsequenltly FG didn’t win the election….so I suppose nothing will happen.
Bye, Barry
9. Digital Rights Ireland &r&hellip | February 1st, 2008 at 12:06 pm
[...] Their 2007 Report is a comprehensive document based on a survey of 47 countries and consultation with over 200 experts worldwide. Countries are assessed based on their privacy record and laws in relation to areas such as identity cards, biometrics, workplace surveillance and democratic safeguards. Despite having a generally good track record on privacy in many areas, Ireland overall receives the third lowest grade – systemic failure to protect privacy – based largely on Ireland’s excessive data retention laws, the government’s failure to protect privacy at EU level, excessive use of PPS numbers, and the planned introduction of automatic number plate recognition without adequate safeguards. [...]
10. fat boy | March 6th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Can the revenue get info from the dept of social security regarding any claims for benifit, and would the same dept furnish social security with details of any tax claims if the two periods overlap
11. smart card | November 7th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Hey Amadan,
“She may not have one though as she hasn’t earned a salary yet or turned 18 and I think that may have been an earlier precondition to receive a pps. ”
So children can’t get one?
12. THOMAS FAHY | January 23rd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
I EMIGRATED TO THE US IN 1971
I WAS RECENTLY GIVEN SOCIAL SECURITY
RETIREMENT DISABILITY IN USA
IM 59
I AM APPLYING TO IRISH SOCIAL WELFARE
FOR AN INVALIDITY PENSION
I WORKED IN IRELAND FOR 7 YEARS
NOW I NEED A PPS NUMBER
WHERE DO I LOOK
AND CAN I GET IT ON LINE
SINCERELY
TOMMY FAHY
13. Margaret Brady | February 27th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
I am an Irish Citizen and worked in Ireland from 1983 when I then left and went to New York. How do I get my pps number. Please can you advise me.
Many thanks.
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed