germany: 40 million people under control. "'Monster' German employee database goes online"

[demoleft]

Under new legislation that came into effect on January 1, German employers must now submit their employees' income data to a government-sponsored central mainframe. The database is believed to form part of Germany's largest ever data acquisition program.

Employers must now send information monthly to the so-called ELENA database regarding workers' contributions to Germany's social programs.

Beginning in 2012, Germany's social welfare authorities will be able to use this data to assess whether to pay out or refuse benefits to applicants.

Trade unions and civil rights groups have criticised the project, while the Pirate Party - which is concerned about the amount of information being collected - referred to it as an "excessive heightening and storage of personal data."

source: dw, http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5074833,00.html

peter schaar, head of germany's Data Protection and Freedom of Information Commission, stated that "ELENA is not legally permissible". the free democrats in merkel's coalition are against it and call it a "monster", the unions are on the war path.

who the hell is going to control over the controllers?
it stinks of stasi. really, it stinks.

[Selatius]

1. I bet people who want to cut social spending programs invented this idea.

This way, they can actually look at a person's file and scream that he or she is a "welfare queen!" and then cut off the funds.

[demoleft]

3. it was bred by a conservative government, but i wonder...

...if SPD and liberals will get rid of this scandal as soon as they are back.
because if they don't, then "something's rotten in denmark."

[Selatius]

4. If they don't, then they've shifted to the right wing like the Democratic Party leadership has.

Like how they renewed certain portions of the Patriot Act that were pretty contentious.

[David__77]

9. I doubt it.

SPD wouldn't I would bet. And the liberals - the FDP - are in power now. Only the Left would fight these kinds of things.

[demoleft]

10. that's my fear. i visited the SPD website and found no comment on that.

and i do not like the taste of it.

[Name removed]

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[David__77]

5. Actually, everyone was guaranteed a job and social benefits in East Germany.

Even the dissidents.

[demoleft]

6. well i'd rather beg free on the street than be filed and tracked by such a system.

i do not trust the controllers. this is a violation of individual freedom.

[David__77]

7. I'd rather neither.

I'm just pointing out that there is bad in both systems, and that there are aspects that are worse about the current state of the former GDR.

[demoleft]

8. of course you would not. my point is that the "worse", in this case, stinks exactly like DDR. n/t