A former adviser to Gordon Brown has warned that the United Kingdom could become a surveillance state through the expanding use of artificial intelligence to monitor citizens' movements. Chris Wales, who served on Brown’s Council of Economic Advisers, co-authored a book detailing how Spanish authorities deploy AI to crack down on tax non-payment, including against British expats in Spain. He now cautions that similar practices could take root in the UK.
Spanish tax agency's AI powers spark concern
Wales and international lawyer Robert Amsterdam authored a book alleging that Spain’s tax agency, Agencia Tributaria, has been granted powers that exceed legal boundaries. According to Wales, from January 1, every invoice in Spain will pass through the tax agency. Inspectors can already access all utility bills and will soon obtain data on which clinics and pharmacies citizens use, what they purchase, where they dine, their grocery and wine purchases, car details, driving distances, parking locations, flights taken, and hotels used.
“Information security? A thing of the past,” Wales said. He added, “I am far from being a libertarian, but I see great danger in the direction in which tax authority powers are going, particularly because the process doesn’t seem to involve our active consent. There is little parliamentary debate about it. In Spain, it is simply out of control. In the UK, let’s see.”
UK's HMRC already using AI system CONNECT
Wales highlighted that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) already employs advanced information technology, including an AI system called CONNECT. As early as 2023, CONNECT was reported to contain more than 55 billion taxpayer-related data items. He questioned whether adequate safeguards exist in the UK to prevent HMRC from emulating its Spanish counterpart’s extensive data harvesting.
“In Spain, as Bob and I show in our new book, the data harvesting carried out by Agencia Tributaria is already a nightmare for citizens. The tax agency has unlimited access to information and is said to use sophisticated Israeli intelligence software to find out everything about you,” Wales said.
Privacy and consent at risk
Wales warned that confidentiality in personal life—not just finances—will disappear without proper oversight. He underscored the lack of parliamentary debate and active consent from citizens regarding the expansion of tax authority powers. The book argues that what has become standard in Spain could quickly become established elsewhere, posing a “great danger” to privacy and civil liberties in the UK.
