SO the Government is starting an ID Card scheme?

Question

I was mocked on YA for saying that ages ago, i was told to get my tinfoil hat off. so what are your thoughts on this? good or bad?

the new government is setting up an ID Card scheme sometime next year.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/epolitix/20071105/tpl-government-to-press-ahead-with-id-ca-0a1c1a1_1.html

Answer 1

Don't feel bad. I've been telling people the very same thing for years. In fact, I've been telling people that the day is coming in which we will all be branded like a giant herd of cattle. Very few people I talk to actually believe me. And most people to whom I've expressed this call me crazy. But it's coming... I'm willing to bet my good right arm that it's coming.

A VERY, VERY BAD THING ON SO MANY LEVELS!

Answer 2

I was in favour of the ID card scheme. We live in a society where our ID's are known to private companies all ready. This is the case for anyone who owns a phone or uses a credit or debit card. Big brother is already watching us.

ID cards will help when it comes to fighting crime and terrorism, mainly things like ID fraud and abuse of our pubic services such as the NHS.

I became more concerned when it came to the cost. Whiel a great idea, it will cost loads. The NHS is already going through two big IT changes. One is a system called Choose and Book, or rather Choose and Dont book because the system does not work properly. The next is the NHS IT system, which does nto work and is way over budget.

But the final thing that has changed my mind is the loss of the CD's containing all the bank details. Yes ID cards may work, but I do not trust the government with such a large database. (Mind you, I do not trust big business with it either.)

Answer 3

The ID card scheme was first proposed when David Blunkett was Home secretary, and is now a well established scheme.

The latest is that ID cards are being introduced for foreign nationals next year. The government will be introducing them for all UK citizens at some time after that, as yet unspecified. The cards will not be compulsory (which makes a mockery of the whole concept in itself), although the government have not ruled out making them compulsory at some point in the future.

The whole thing is not only an infringement of civil liberties, but a massive waist of time and money as well.

The government are twisting themselves into knots trying to justify id cards. First they said their main purpose was to combat the threat of terrorism. Then when pushed on the matter, they admitted that they wouldn't be effective for that purpose. Later they said ID cards would help to combat benefit fraud, and then had to admit that they wouldn't be effective for that either. Then they tried identity theft as a justification, until it was shown that id cards might actually make it easier for criminals to steal somebodies identity. Now that Brown has taken over as PM they are trying to justify the disproved anti-terror argument again.

So it must be asked, what exactly are ID cards for? I suspect the real reason this government has in mind is to gather marketing information, so that businesses can inundate us with "targeted" spam and junk mail. But in the future, perhaps under an even more unethical government, they could be used as a very sinister means to limit our freedom and our right to privacy.

This ridiculous ID card scheme must be opposed at all costs. I will refuse to carry one under any circumstances. If everybody did the same, the government might just change their mind.

That being said, judging from the tone of the article you linked to, it sounds as if the government are already having second thoughts. They say officially that they are sticking with the ID card scheme for the moment, but I suspect that serious doubts are being expressed by various members of the Brown cabinet. I know for a fact that the Chancellor, Alistair Darling (my local MP), is privately very much opposed to the ID card scheme.

So I'm still hoping that good sense will prevale, before the ID card scheme becomes as explosive an issue in British politics as the poll tax was.

Answer 4

Well what happens when the government loses all of our information like all of the tax code stuff and it gets in to the wrong hands?!
ID cards are a very bad idea, I wouldn't want one and don't know anyone that does.
Why not spend our money on other security measures that have been put forward, o yeah I forgot that it makes no difference what we say because the government will just go ahead and do it anyway, we will all just be there to say I told you so when it all goes t1ts up I expect!

Answer 5

Hello,

(ANS) Frankly I am deeply deeply suspicious as to why? the government is so keen on having an ID card system.

Lets look at some of the facts involved here:-

No.1 an ID card system that uses personal biometric data would cost billions of pounds to implement, & the track record of government large scale IT & computer projects is one of utter disaster.

Examples are:- **The child support agency disaster due failed IT systems, **The passport agency, the criminal records bureau, numerous other health service related IT projects.

**Government IT projects are always fail to meet stated deadlines and are ALWAYS over budget.

No.2 Charles Clerk the then head of the home office admitted shortly after 9/11 on TV that ID cards would not have prevented the suicide bombers. Why? because they all had either faked or valid passports which is how they got on board the flights used.

No.3 The government constantly changed its mind & moved the goal posts as to why? it wanted or thought we needed a national ID card. First it was to prevent terrorism, next it was to access state benefits, next it was access to employment etc,etc.

NO.4 The government wants to sell the data from the national ID database to third party companies in order for private business to pay for the crazy cost of the national ID system. **NOTE:- who knows what private companies will do with our private data, I am not reassured it would be used good purposes.

No.5 Also the government wants each UK citizen to pay (buy) for their own ID card, so its not bad enough to put an electronic chain around us now the government wants us to pay for the lock that keeps us chained up. **Oh! and its not going to be cheap either, estimates are from £100 to £300?

No.6 Like something from George Orwells novel 1984 I don't trust the governments arguments as to why they want an ID card & ID database, & I would NOT trust them to protect my data or my identity.

**NOTE:- this is also about peoples identity and given recent events about data protection, & as ID theft is a growing problem I cannot see any benefit to the individual from government ID cards.

So I say NO!! to ID cards in principal.

PS: Iris scanning & recognition software has a very high error rate and they're talking of including iris data on a future chipped ID card.

Ivan

Answer 6

HA HA, you just figured this out. The US is implementing a National ID card. The law for it was passed back in 05 and was suppost to go into effect this year but has been pushed back because so many state governments are fighting it because the US goverment passed the law but provided no funding for it. That means that states would have to pay millions to fund the federal program.

Answer 7

No doubt ID fraudsters have already got the wheels in motion to produce fake ID cards, so what's the point. Another waste of money at our expense.

Answer 8

This has been rumoured for a long time. It looks as though they are trying to computerize everything, like a worldwide big brother. I suppose some folk on here reckon thats too far fetched though.... We will see what happens.

Answer 9

It would be a monumental waste of money and is a very sinister part of this governments obsession with creating a 'Big Brother' state.

Answer 10

I didn't realise it was going ahead! There was talk of us maybe getting ID Cards, but I didn't know it was going ahead.