Are you guys going to get these? I just started thinking about them again after watching Taking Liberties about the erosion of civil liberties in the UK. Since we're not British citizens, it looks like we're going to be first up on the registration list. :brood: Registering where I live, what I look like, my age....I'm fine with all that. I don't however, have the slightest confidence in the government protecting my fingerprints, iris scan and (possibly) my DNA! The compulsory date hasn't been set yet, I'm hoping there's still a possibility that this will remain a voluntary scheme.

:brood:

If some of the things they said about this ID card in Taking Liberties are true, then this ID card business is something I would rather not be part of.

Recent scandals in which bureaucrats or their contractors have managed to lose gigabytes of highly sensitive data are reason enough to be worried about similar incidents with the ID card data. In terms of security, no database of this kind can any more trustworthy than the people who know the password.

I really can't see ID cards becoming compulsory, too much objection from the general public and several MPs for a start.

Just look at the recent cock-up involving people's personal details being misplaced, I really don't trust the competency of Government agencies in looking after DNA information!

i do think its a pretty stupid idea, as the card is going to be loaded with loads of personal and sensitive data. i remember getting a big talking to about not loosing my national insurance card, passport, driving licence, benefits card, etc when i got those- how much worse would it be when loads of info is all on one card, and then people obtain these cards fruadulantly, when peoples ID cards get lost, info gets leaked, or used for fraud, etc- there will be a huge (and expensive) amount of damage to untangle. the cost of running, monitoring, upkeeping and securing the system has got to be monumental too.

if the concern is terrorists, in canada, non-citizen permenant residents have a permenant resident card, which proves their status as 'security checked, and allowed to be here'. if the concern is the general public being visably identifiable, could they just not ammend the passport, national insurance card, or other existing system to be compulsory *shudders*, and include an address and picture on those items?

readin the wikipedia article about this really put me off.

sorry, I don't have any more room in my wallet.