Whenever a government wants to set up a new, far-reaching database they always reassure the public that proper safeguards will be put in place to make sure that the data is not mis-used. In Europe we even have Data Protection legislation, making it a crime to share personal data without permission. Does that stop people doing it? Of course not.

Today British newspapers are reporting the case of a private investigator whose business specialized in selling personal data about people to companies in the building industry. The primary purpose of his activities was to allow construction companies to illegally vet potential employees for union connections before employing them. Some 40 UK companies who used his services, including big names such as Balfour Beatty, Sir Robert McAlpine, Laing O’Rourke and Costain, are currently being investigated for illegally purchasing this data.

This sort of thing would happen anyway in some form or another, but it will be made much easier by the existence of government databases. As and when a massive health service database goes live, you can bet that members of right wing and religious extremist groups will be scouring it for LGBT people so that they can target them. The fact that this will be illegal will not stop them.