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Doc Who | 30.06.2005 08:32 | Analysis

A futurist perspective of proposed UK ID cards.

"Can I see some ID please ?" asked the Policeman as I walked home late one night through the City Centre. I pulled out my new ID card and the Policeman placed it in his portable reader. He then flashed the device in my eye, presumably scanning my iris. I peeked at the screen. It showed my face with a ream of alphanumerics scrolling across it. The Policeman took out the stylus and seemed to be selecting a few menus. I saw a satellite photograph of my neighbourhood appear with my own address emblazoned across the image. Another selection with the stylus and a number of bar charts and line graphs indicated some unknown data visualisation. "OK, you're clean", said the Policeman. "Get home and don't hang around here." He handed me back my card. I walked away pondering what the Law Giver had seen as he pried into my private life. I felt like I had been raped. As I crossed the bridge over the canal I took out the offending piece of plastic and tossed it into the murky waters below. I knew that next time I am stopped I may actually be in more trouble for not having this bitter-tasting, branded result of the Government's own stamping iron. What the hell, if anything was worth dissenting against surely this was it ? I trudged home in a mood of relieved depression as my former life was laid to rest in a watery grave.

Doc Who

Comments

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Join the No2ID campaign group

30.06.2005 15:02

It is not thought that police will be needing your ID Card as it's a crime to not give your name to a policeman and that could be verified to a large degree by your iris scan alone.

I'd like to add that the real danger is a further criminalising of those protesting undemocratic government actions. Once we are identified, the amalgamation of Government databases and eventual inclusion of phone & ISP records will make it a snap for the Government to produce several jumped-up charges against us. And if they can't do that, they will simply deny us access to public services and blame it on computer error.

No2ID is by far the largest (with 20,000 members) campaign group against ID Cards. We are now getting national media coverage and are seeking to kill the Bill before it passes the House of Commons in a month's time.

Dave Gould
mail e-mail: bristol@no2id.net
- Homepage: http://www.no2id.net


dissent

02.07.2005 08:56

I'm sure organised pre-emptive strikes are a valid reaction but why not just ignore the imposition ?

Doc Who