eID cards for UK?

[pequod]

Is it time to debate this topic again, given the EU countries are pressing ahead and other countries around the world are accepting this technology?

https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/markets/digital-ide...

[Dingu]

I’m not ideologically opposed as some will be, but I think there are many many issues the government could address before this gets into the priority list. Especially when they are cutting services and raising taxes as rumoured for this weeks statement.
Plus add in how incompetently most things are implemented here and it seems like a waste of time and money.

[pequod]

Well the EU don't believe it to be a waste of time and money and their citizens are already used to carrying ID of some form or other.

Why are the UK so opposed to this?

[Jenny Tailor]

If you have a passport - they already have your iris.
I'm sure there will be all forms of outrage here - but IMO it is a good idea.

[Dingu]

pequod said:

Well the EU don't believe it to be a waste of time and money and their citizens are already used to carrying ID of some form or other.

Why are the UK so opposed to this?

There may well be benefits, are they worth the outlay?

Why not put the argument for it if you believe it is the right time and provides value for money.

[otolith]

Why do you want it? What problem does it solve?

[Mr Pointy]

Jenny Tailor said:

If you have a passport - they already have your iris.
I'm sure there will be all forms of outrage here - but IMO it is a good idea.

Really? How has an iris scan been captured just because someone has a passport? I'm pretty sure the photo booth at my local Sainsbury's doesn't have the technology required.

[Previous]

Timely and apt.

Especially if we talk about the cards holding citizen data, what data, who gets it, what it can be used for, where it'll be held centrally..... and how secure that is.

Especially the last bit for Thales.

[Biggy Stardust]

Jenny Tailor said:

If you have a passport - they already have your iris.

How?

[Electro1980]

What problem is it trying to solve?

[davek_964]

pequod said:

Is it time to debate this topic again, given the EU countries are pressing ahead and other countries around the world are accepting this technology?

https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/markets/digital-ide...

No.

[pequod]

Dingu said:

pequod said:

Well the EU don't believe it to be a waste of time and money and their citizens are already used to carrying ID of some form or other.

Why are the UK so opposed to this?

There may well be benefits, are they worth the outlay?

Why not put the argument for it if you believe it is the right time and provides value for money.

The world has moved on from a simple form of ID?

[Mr Pointy]

I've never understood the objection to having a means of proving you are a citizen of a country & therefore entitled to the benefits & obligations involved. The technology is as different question, but many other countries seem to manage well enough.

[CraigyMc]

The same people who want to send refugees to Rwanda will be the ones saying no to any format of UK national ID while simultaneously complaining about immigrants who are both claiming benefits and working.

Complete brainfkery as predicted by Orwell in his 1949 book, 1984.

[Vanden Saab]

Unless I can carry it digitally on my phone, then it is a no. Not having to carry a wallet around is a great advance IMHO and as long as it is not compulsory to carry it at all times as I like to go swimming in the sea and would not be comfortable leaving my phone/ wallet on the beach. Guess that actually makes me opposed to them as if they are not compulsory to be carried at all times then what is the point.
I would much prefer the whole country to be fingerprinted then if somebody needs to be checked they can just use a mobile fingerprint scanner.

[sunbeam alpine]

I do wonder whether the absence of the requirement for an individual to carry some form of ID at all times is motivation for illegal immigration to the UK.

I appreciate that most holders of a driving license will have photo ID with them, but it's not actually a legal requirement.

Here in Belgium I find the eID very useful, both for on-line and daily use.

Just to give one example - prior to the eID if I went to the doctor I'd pay for the visit (that's normal over here), then get a form (which the doctor had to fill in by hand) to reclaim it from my health insurance. The doctor would then write me a prescription to take to the chemists. With the eID, the doctor puts my card in his card reader, my health insurance gets charged automatically, and I can go to any chemists and produce my ID card and they can dispense my prescription.

[Cobracc]

Vanden Saab said:

Unless I can carry it digitally on my phone, then it is a no. Not having to carry a wallet around is a great advance IMHO and as long as it is not compulsory to carry it at all times as I like to go swimming in the sea and would not be comfortable leaving my phone/ wallet on the beach. Guess that actually makes me opposed to them as if they are not compulsory to be carried at all times then what is the point.
I would much prefer the whole country to be fingerprinted then if somebody needs to be checked they can just use a mobile fingerprint scanner.

Why not just burn a number into each of our forearms....?

[Dingu]

pequod said:

Dingu said:

pequod said:

Well the EU don't believe it to be a waste of time and money and their citizens are already used to carrying ID of some form or other.

Why are the UK so opposed to this?

There may well be benefits, are they worth the outlay?

Why not put the argument for it if you believe it is the right time and provides value for money.

The world has moved on from a simple form of ID?

Ok, so what benefits does the more complex form of ID give? Is it a time saving to me by creating a joined up simple ID across every public service, enhanced security, reduced ongoing governmental or civil service costs that recoup the outlay?
Or would we be spending £500m+ or whatever it would cost to implement a system with marginal gains at a time where the country heads into recession.

Bearing in mind how well the NHS digitalisation programme went.

[otolith]

CraigyMc said:

The same people who want to send refugees to Rwanda will be the ones saying no to any format of UK national ID while simultaneously complaining about immigrants who are both claiming benefits and working.

Complete brainfkery as predicted by Orwell in his 1949 book, 1984.

It's usually the "send 'em back" brigade who are most keen on ID cards because they think that's the only barrier to chucking people on a plane out of the country.

[oyster]

otolith said:

Why do you want it? What problem does it solve?

This a million times over.

We should always ask this of any government intervention, but especially ones that are changing people's liberties.
As a society we accept certain restrictions on freedom in return for other benefits, such as safety and security. But the question should always be asked.

What is the benefit?
Real benefit, not perceived or aspirational.