Details

29 mins, 2003

Banks rely on information systems but how do they work? Dave Nellist investigates. He pays a cheque into his bank. It enters the clearing system, becomes a piece of data and finally allows him to draw out cash to buy his mum a present. Every stage in the process involves systems and the video explains how they work.

EFTPOS, BACS, home banking, the smart card – information technology is changing every aspect of the way we handle money. But with so much business being done electronically now, security is a big issue.

The Data Protection Act gives you a right to know what’s in the computers, but there are loopholes and civil liberties are at risk. Are banks getting too powerful?