Identity Cards After Hours

[Dylan]

Yes but should have been rolled out decades ago when the rest of western Europe did.

Will be extortionate to do it now and would be a PR disaster given the clip of the whole country / cost of living crisis.

 

[Hera]

Yes but should have been rolled out decades ago when the rest of western Europe did.

Will be extortionate to do it now and would be a PR disaster given the clip of the whole country / cost of living crisis.

There's a big difference between a simple piece of card/plastic with your photo, name, DOB, and address on it and a modern biometric smart card.

When the Labour government tried to bring in biometric cards the technology was in its infancy and any system introduced then would have cost a fortune and been out of date immediately. Times have changed, the technology is more mature an smart ID card systems can be bought off the shelf so the cost now would be a lot lower

 

[Janey]

In theory, having a single card that covered every aspect would be great.

In practise, that means an enormous, single database managed by the lowest bidder that will absolutely be the biggest target imaginable.

No chance it could be kept secure. None.

 

[Scotty G]

Yes, definitely but it won't ever happen as it will cost many billions and get totally messed up.

 

[Tom]

New reports today that the government are considering digital ID cards:

Sir Keir Starmer is considering the introduction of digital ID cards for all UK citizens as he seeks to intensify his efforts to address the small boats crisis.

The Prime Minister chaired an emergency ministerial meeting on Tuesday to "explore" how the ID cards could be used to address the "pull factors" that draw migrants to make the crossing to UK shores.

Downing Street also refused to rule out making any introduction of ID cards mandatory, insisting that it is willing to "look at what works".

French President Emannuel Macron has repeatedly warned that the lack of ID cards in the UK acts as a major incentive to migrants, who can find work in Britain's extensive black economy.

Whitehall sources said that the Government was still at an early stage on whether to introduce digital ID cards, but insiders believe that the Cabinet was on board with the idea.

 

[Tom]

All UK adults will be issued with an ID card under new plans expected to be announced by Sir Keir Starmer as part of a wider push to tackle illegal immigration.

The prime minister is set to announce the plans as early as Friday, 26 September, The Times reported, with Starmer set to position the so-called 'Brit card' as a means of combating illegal immigrants working in the UK.

The digital ID will be used to verify citizenship and people's right to work when they begin a new job. They will also be required when entering a new rental contract.

Employers already require some form of ID when signing new staff, along with a national insurance (NI) number, but there are concerns not all businesses carry out the checks thoroughly.

Looks like we could be moving towards a compulsory digital ID card for all adults in the UK. I'm not sure it will help with the problem of illegal immigration, though, and I'd be surprised if criminals don't immediately find ways to forge/exploit them, as they have with every single technological advancement in this kind of thing.

 

[Strawberry Man]

Other countries have them, they link to a pass that covers tax, healthcare, residency rights, etc - all digital and efficient. So why can't they work in the UK?

It also means you can open trading accounts and the like in a minute because it scans your pass. I don't really get people's beef with them.

 

[Error]

I don't really mind personally, I guess it could be helpful. I never have my driver's license on me, but it would be good to have it on my phone along with any other identification.

I hear that millions have signed petitions against ID cards. This is a good pointer as to why the UK is in a self-destruct mode. Not because of ID cards per se, but because of whatever any government proposes or wants to introduce, the opposition and much of the population are against it. Much of this is not for any genuine logical reason, but because they can.