A secretive Home Office unit has hoarded data on millions of people

7 April 2021: Wired: The Data Services & Analytics unit holds information on 650 million people and has been accused of creating a “super database”

A data analytics team close to the heart of government has collected data on more than 650 million people, including children under the age of 13, according to newly unearthed documents.

The Data Services & Analytics unit is described as “one of the most advanced data analytics centres in government” and forms part of the Home Office’s Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) department. It builds decision-making tools and provides data-driven insights to the rest of the Home Office – although details of exactly what it does remain tightly guarded.

The huge amount of data being analysed and the Home Office’s lack of transparency has prompted accusations from privacy campaigners that the unit could be creating a “super database” that risks exacerbating racial biases among law enforcement agencies.

Read more here: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/home-office-immigration-data