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UK ID Cards Could Be Upgraded To Super ID Cards

An anonymous reader writes "Gadget lovers are used to punishing upgrade cycles but now it seems that the British ID card could be replaced with a 'super' ID card just a couple of years after the first one was released. The new card could be used to buy goods or services online, or to prove identity over the web. It's a bit of a kick in the teeth for the people who have already paid £30 for a 1st gen card that can't do any of these things."

7 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Most people are not bothered by chrb · · Score: 3, Informative

    Most people in the UK are happy to be profiled in exchange for financial benefits. When the Tesco Clubcard was introduced it was so popular that people stopped shopping at other supermarkets like Sainsburys, which then had to introduce their own "loyalty card" schemes. Tesco announced last year that there are now 16 million active clubcards in the UK. As a comparison point there are around 25 million households in the UK , so a significant number of British households are having their shopping profiled in detail already.

    1. Re:Most people are not bothered by VJ42 · · Score: 2, Informative

      and they sell your profile to the government... for profit

      As UK law currently stands, that would be a breech of the data protection act.

      --
      If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me
  2. Re:I'm sorry citizen... by Tim+C · · Score: 4, Informative

    These people select themselves for leadership at private school (if Tory) or at university (if Labour or Lib Dem)

    What on earth makes you think the Labour and Lib Dem MPs all went to state schools? Have you forgotten the minor scandal a few years ago over certain high-profile Labour MPs sending their kids to private school?

  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Informative

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  4. Spoiler alert:card popularity will be non-existing by colordev · · Score: 2, Informative

    since 1999 finland has been pushing exactly this kind of super-card technology for exactly the same reasons. So far less than 4% of the population has taken the card. Also the widely available online bank account authentication tools, have effectively made the card obsolete. Finally the government seems to be giving up and gladly accepts the online bank authentication methods for the purpose of identifying anyone online. like this

    The British super ID card will have exactly the same fate as the finnish Super-card did.

  5. Re:Not really by colinRTM · · Score: 2, Informative

    All six teeth, you mean? Well, we are British...

  6. Re:I'm sorry citizen... by damburger · · Score: 2, Informative

    Yeah, because the Tories can be trusted to keep their promises. How touchingly naive of you.

    So what if I generalised? It was clear I was generalising, and its true. Unless you believe this 'Dave' crap that your party press office is trying to put out?

    --
    If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we shoot people for Apollo-related non-sequiturs?