The UK government wants banks to spy on the savings of millions of people, Privacy Watchdog warns

Table of Contents

The UK government wants banks to spy on your savings, Privacy Watchdog warns. Credit: Ascannio, Shutterstock

A massive protest to promote plans for workers to have banks monitor benefits payments. Millions of ordinary people can be affected. What does that mean to you?

Labour is trying to revive Bin’s former massive financial snooping scheme by Tories, but Privacy Watchdogs and campaigners say it’s Orwell’s overreach.

When you think your bank account is your business, the government is back to it. With the branded “Orwell” and branded moves of privacy campaigners, the labour government in Kielstama revived a massive financial surveillance plan first cooked by the Tories, scrapping it after public protests.

But now, under the guise of cracking down on benefits fraud, the public workers’ (fraud, error, recovery) bill (the so-called “bank spy bill”) is set up to force banks to scan and flag accounts across boards, even if you’ve never made the wrong foot.

Great Britain’s Snooping Anger: Workers’ Plans to Spy on Ordinary People on Banks.

That’s right – under these proposals, banks are forced to troll through accounts of millions of British people, looking for vaguely secret “indicators” of possible scams.

There is no warrant. There is no doubt. There are no crimes.

You’re just smashing your savings.

Financial fraud should be fought, but can we fight without turning all the UK into suspects?

To the UK government Monitor your savings of Millions Above advantage.

Critics say the plan is nothing more than turning your bank into a government informant.

“It’s a massive data grab of Orwell’s proportion,” he warned Big Brother Watch, a civil liberty group that helped defeat similar forces under Rishi Snack’s government. “It removes the presumption of innocence and treats millions of suspects.”

And they are not alone. 270,000 official members have already signed a petition requesting the bill be binded.

24 civil society organisations, including the Equality and Human Rights Commission, are denounced the plan. and a The legal opinions of Dan Squires KC and Aidan Wills concluded a proposal that is likely to violate the UK’s rights of privacy under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act.

Surveillance for us My own Safety?

The stated purpose is to catch welfare fraud, but here it is. The government already has sufficient authority to access bank records if I have doubts. These new rules? They target everyone, no A reasonable doubt is required.

A real reach? The bank is required to create a list of account holders to receive benefits. Caregiverspensioners, and even landlords who have been paid by tenants are possible. land Digital Dragget. Your financial data, rifle By the algorithm looking for an abnormality – “error” Government’s My own breakdown.

And mistakes are almost guaranteed. Critics warn that this dystopian data sweep will incorrectly flag thousands of vulnerable people (old people, disabled, single mothers) into bureaucratic nightmares.

Remember the post office horizon scandal? Has hundreds of people wrongly indicted dangerous data? This could be a massive thing.

Peanut Spy

So, what is the reward for this huge invasion?

Even the government admits that it’s not that much. The Labor Pensions Bureau estimates that surveillance can recover just £138 million a year. This is only 1.5% of the total lost fraud and errors. Or, to put it another way, with every pound of snooping, only a penny might come back.

And if the more generous government estimate is £320 million, what if it turns out to be true? It’s still less than 3% of the annual loss.

A hammer for breaking peanuts. A digital dragnet for catching a handful of cheats.

Is it proven poor and innocent?

Supporting anger is a clear erosion of civil liberties. The Principles of the British Righteousness – innocent until proven guilty – are quietly bulldozed. This is not surveillance targeting known con artists. That’s everyone’s blanket suspicion.

Starmer’s U-turn or stealth mode?

What’s getting stabbed further? Labour opposed these same forces when Tories tried. Now they’re back – just a few months of power – pushing the same plan with new names and fresh lipsticks. “Priority Benefits for bank spies In 2024, Silky Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, said:

It’s not just hypocrisy. That’s dangerous.

What you can do

The message from the campaigners is clear. Don’t sit while your privacy is packed and handed over to the state. If you care about this:

Sign the petition: Over 270,000 people already support the call to stop spying on banks. Add your name.
Email the MP: let them know that you do not support mass surveillance. Use your own words – tell us how you feel.
Spread the word: If these plans pass quietly, the next erosion of your rights will not be too late.

Conclusion?

Critics argue that Starme sets a dangerous precedent.

This isn’t just about catching scammers.

It’s about sneaking control.

It’s the next domino in a long line.

Maybe it’s not just a bank account tomorrow under state surveillance.