International police plan 'Server in the Sky'

Police in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have announced plans for a database of international criminals that can be shared between countries.

The new International Information Consortium, dubbed Server in the Sky, will include finger and retina prints, criminal records and known addresses of suspects.

"Server in the Sky is an FBI initiative designed to foster the advanced search and exchange of biometric information on a global scale," the FBI told The Guardian.

"While it is currently in the concept and design stages, it will eventually provide a technical forum for member nations to submit biometric search requests to other nations.

"It will maintain a core holding of the world's 'worst of the worst' individuals. Any identifications of these people will be sent as a priority message to the requesting nation."

The UK government and the Metropolitan Police told The Guardian that they are aware of the programme, but declined further comment.

The five countries already co-operate in running Echelon, the global eavesdropping service that can listen into telephone, radio and email communication.

Echelon was designed during the Cold War but has maintained and expanded its operations since the break up of the Soviet Union.

See also:

US spy chief puts security over privacy

Privacy will have to take a 'back seat in the name of security', warns Mike McConnell  15 Jan 2008

UK phone calls to be logged for one year

Civil liberty groups and opposition parties express outrage  01 Oct 2007

Google raises internet privacy concerns

Global rules needed to save the internet  14 Sep 2007

ISPs rush to enable online spies

Last day to rig networks to allow police surveillance  14 May 2007

UK issued 439,000 spying orders last year

Blair plans police trawl after ID cards come in  21 Feb 2007

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