The UK government is planning to spend a huge amount of money on creating a massive population database, the National Identity Register, and issuing everybody over 16 with an identity card. The government will be spending money on this scheme for years and years to come. The companies that win the lucrative contracts to supply the goods and services necessary to the scheme stand to make hundreds of millions of pounds in profit.

On the Defy-ID website there is now a "Greasy Palms" list of companies. This list is of companies that are publicly identifiable as either profiting, or wanting to profit, from the introduction of the Identity Cards and the creation of a National Identity Register.

Companies listed are: Accenture, ARM, Astron Clinca, Atos Origin, Axalto, British Telecom, Consult Hyperion, Detica, Electronic Data Systems (EDS), Experian, ID Data, Identix, Iridian Technologies, Lasercard, NEC, PA Consulting, PCCW, Senselect, Siemens Business Services, Sun Microsystems, Thales, TraceTag, Viisage

The list is at  http://www.defy-id.org.uk/greasypalms.htm