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Indeed, Blair himself admitted to being a technophobe.

Did you know that the new legislation also allows police to scan the database containing all our facial recognition biometrics to correlate CCTV images?

Is Blair aware of the frightening prospect of collating ALL computerised data held on us through our Unique Identity Numbers?

Find out how you can help the No2ID cause.

...you don't live in the UK, where we will soon have one nationwide database storing compulsory information (including a variety of biometrics) on everyone in the country.

You didn't mention the National Identity Number which can be used to index all information held about you on every database.

Support No2ID. They are a great bunch.

All sorts of benefits are being touted; David Blunkett, Home Secretary, had this to say regarding these cards use:

Identity cards would help us tackle the organised criminals and terrorists who use fake identities to carry out their crimes. They would also aid the fight against illegal working and immigration abuse, enable easier and more convenient access to services and ensure free public services are only used by those entitled to them. The Identity Cards Bill will set out the stringent safeguards we want for the use of the cards, what information they contain and who can access it.

Of course, he fails to mention that ID cards didn't stop the Madrid bombings (Spain has ID cards). He also failed to mention the scope of access of previous projects was way too broad which'll probably happen again (e.g. the Food Standards Agency at one time had full access to all you e-mail and surfing habits thanks to the R.I.P. bill, as well as local councils!). But then, there are many, many flaws and concerns. Originally they were supposed to be _purely_ for identification purposes, but compulsion and links to public services/benefits are being pushed, as well as circumventing checks and balances such as this case of forcing employers to check their staff with the National ID Register even though it'll be illegal to force a check, until they become compulsory, at least.

It's all very disturbing, the public really doesn't want them so the government's conducting heavily-loaded research to lie with, then they can use statistics to pretend the people are in favour. The costs will be prohibitive, with the money much better spent on the likes of education & healthcare, but they've got the bit firmly between the teeth and are serious about imposing these on us, whether we like it or not.

For more details check out No2ID.net and read the concerns of Privacy International in their (slightly old but still relevant) ID Card FAQ.

EDS are preparing themselves to manage the UK national identity database and identity card scheme. This is one we could lobby our representatives on to ensure they do it right.

This is one we should lobby our representatives on to ensure they don't do it at all. The fact that they will piss away several billion quid of taxpayers money is by-the-by when there is no reason other than sheer control-freakery to want this database in the first place.

The UK pressure group NO2ID have set up an online petition to be delivered to the Government. UK residents who oppose compulsory ID cards should consider signing it (it closes tomorrow, by the way!).

Those who don't oppose ID cards should read some of the Register's excellent coverage of the issue and be very afraid.

Two years ago they had this great idea at Extreme Computing where the users were encouraged to swap their loyalty cards:

where you can swap your loyalty card with someone else's (cash in the points first if you must), and take on the brand new demographic profile of a complete stranger. Imagine the data- processors' bafflement when a healthy-eating family of 4 suddenly turns into a single 33-year-old male who consumes nothing but satsumas and ready meals.

Read more about it here. It was a cool idea, I wonder why more people don't do this ?

Anyways, as far as National IDs go, you can read more about it here and show your support by getting one of the t-shirts.

Two years ago they had this great idea at Extreme Computing where the users were encouraged to swap their loyalty cards:

where you can swap your loyalty card with someone else's (cash in the points first if you must), and take on the brand new demographic profile of a complete stranger. Imagine the data- processors' bafflement when a healthy-eating family of 4 suddenly turns into a single 33-year-old male who consumes nothing but satsumas and ready meals.

Read more about it here. It was a cool idea, I wonder why more people don't do this ?

Anyways, as far as National IDs go, you can read more about it here and show your support by getting one of the t-shirts.

On the other hand, what's so bad about having a card like this?

http://www.no2id.net/ for a detailed debunking.
hth

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