The True Cost of ID Cards
mazey54 | 26.06.2007 00:57
The true cost of ID cards are not just to the taxpayer’s purse but go much deeper and have a truly disturbing impact, threatening our way of life forever. You will not only pay financially but it will also cost you personal privacy and possibility your identity.
By Mick Meaney
RINF Alternative News
The true cost of ID cards are not just to the taxpayer’s purse but go much deeper and have a truly disturbing impact, threatening our way of life forever. You will not only pay financially but it will also cost you personal privacy and possibility your identity.
The privacy eroding ID card scheme has suffered another set back as the government internally worry over procurement, costs and program management.
The controversial scheme costs £5.3bn and 50 million UK citizens are set to receive the cards over the next 10 years. Costs have risen by £400m since just October.
James Hall, chief executive of the U.K. Identity and Passport Service, which is in charge of the ID card project said a “major” procurement process was set to begin, although “we’re not quite ready yet,” but did not state when this would begin.
It amounts to nothing more than the “numbering of the population” as the plan not only stops with ID cards, as all information will be passed into the NIR (National Identity Register) creating one central database containing our private information and the widespread use of biometric technology for mass fingerprinting and iris scanning.
ID cards are being sold to the British public as a precaution to terrorism, although no evidence exists to suggest they act as an effective deterrent and ministers have already stated ID cards will not be able to prevent future attacks.
In fact, experts state ID cards diminishes security, as the central database opens new opportunities for identity thieves and data fraudsters.
Privacy advocates have listed over 20 problems with the scheme including
Discrimination
Lifelong surveillance
Identity fraud
Benefit fraud and abuse of public services
Spiralling costs
Untested technologies
Unsecured and costly technologies
Severe punishments may be inflicted without judicial process
Any person can be added to the Register without their consent
No duty to ensure that such data is accurate, or criterion of accuracy
The technology used is riddled with errors, open to attacks and the chance that you or I could become an ‘un-person’ is fast becoming a reality.
The Conservative Party are also making noise about the plans, with Shadow Home Secretary David Davis recently writing to Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell.
“I urge you to consider very carefully the government’s position, in advance of the roll-out of the scheme later this year,” the letter said. “As a matter of financial prudence, it is incumbent upon you to ensure that public money is not wasted, and contractual obligations are not incurred, investing in a scheme with such a high risk of not being implemented.”
For more information and to find out what you can do to prevent national ID cards being enforced go to
http://www.no2id.net and http://www.defy-id.org.uk
RINF Alternative News
The true cost of ID cards are not just to the taxpayer’s purse but go much deeper and have a truly disturbing impact, threatening our way of life forever. You will not only pay financially but it will also cost you personal privacy and possibility your identity.
The privacy eroding ID card scheme has suffered another set back as the government internally worry over procurement, costs and program management.
The controversial scheme costs £5.3bn and 50 million UK citizens are set to receive the cards over the next 10 years. Costs have risen by £400m since just October.
James Hall, chief executive of the U.K. Identity and Passport Service, which is in charge of the ID card project said a “major” procurement process was set to begin, although “we’re not quite ready yet,” but did not state when this would begin.
It amounts to nothing more than the “numbering of the population” as the plan not only stops with ID cards, as all information will be passed into the NIR (National Identity Register) creating one central database containing our private information and the widespread use of biometric technology for mass fingerprinting and iris scanning.
ID cards are being sold to the British public as a precaution to terrorism, although no evidence exists to suggest they act as an effective deterrent and ministers have already stated ID cards will not be able to prevent future attacks.
In fact, experts state ID cards diminishes security, as the central database opens new opportunities for identity thieves and data fraudsters.
Privacy advocates have listed over 20 problems with the scheme including
Discrimination
Lifelong surveillance
Identity fraud
Benefit fraud and abuse of public services
Spiralling costs
Untested technologies
Unsecured and costly technologies
Severe punishments may be inflicted without judicial process
Any person can be added to the Register without their consent
No duty to ensure that such data is accurate, or criterion of accuracy
The technology used is riddled with errors, open to attacks and the chance that you or I could become an ‘un-person’ is fast becoming a reality.
The Conservative Party are also making noise about the plans, with Shadow Home Secretary David Davis recently writing to Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell.
“I urge you to consider very carefully the government’s position, in advance of the roll-out of the scheme later this year,” the letter said. “As a matter of financial prudence, it is incumbent upon you to ensure that public money is not wasted, and contractual obligations are not incurred, investing in a scheme with such a high risk of not being implemented.”
For more information and to find out what you can do to prevent national ID cards being enforced go to
http://www.no2id.net and http://www.defy-id.org.uk
mazey54
Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
Instead of
26.06.2007 11:50
Strong Objector
Oyster world
26.06.2007 13:00
Already there has been a leak that these will be used as part of security for the 2012 Property Speculation Olympics.
Whilst at the moment you do not need to register with name and address I would imagine it won't take long before that aspect returns.
Burn your oyster card.
The mayor is a prick
The inflated cost of citizenship
26.06.2007 21:58
A Spanish passport costs about £10. So where are the extra costs involved in producing a British passport ? Ministers have claimed that a predicted 70% of the predicted cost of the national ID card scheme was accounted for by improving the security of passports. I never voted for a national ID card scheme, and even if I had it should be self-financing. This is a clear case of a new unpopular policy being subsidised indirectly. The goverment says entry to the US requires the new passport. I am never going to travel to the US so why should I subsidise the extra costs for those who do ? Why not give British citizens the choice of paying for the ordinary passport and pass the extra costs of travelling to the US to those who require a UK passport acceptable in the US ?
The latest passports contain RFID chips that the government claims aids security but I believe makes it less secure. RFID chips can be read remotely - someone wouldn't even have to touch your passport to steal your identity. These chips are warranted for two years but the passport lasts for ten years. If the chip stops working the passport is still valid. So if you passport was microwaved for 20 seconds, it would still be valid but the chip would blow.
I have a Dutch residency card which is enough ID to get me around most of Europe without a passport, although ironically not to the place I was born and raised.
Danny
Homepage:
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2005/12/01/000016406_20051201150541/Rendered/PDF/wps3783.pdf