Big Brother will be Watching: United Kingdom’s ID Cards
February 18, 2007 · By Greg Farries
The United Kingdom is planning on implementing a costly mandatory identification card,
Ministers plan to force all adults to travel miles at their own expense to fingerprint scanning units so their details can go onto an identity card database.
[...]
Ministers claim the scheme, which will see the first cards issued in two years’ time, will cost £5.4 billion, although experts at the London School of Economics say the total bill could be £19.3 billion. Biometric passports, which hold similar personal details to ID cards, will be issued later this year. There will then be a two-year period during which people will be able to apply for a passport without also being forced to apply for an ID card.
Think that sounds scary? It gets worse,
Labour also wants all first-time applicants for a British passport to travel to the same 69 centres for interview, when they will be asked about things like previous addresses and bank accounts.
Now this begs the question, if a Canadian government attempted such a invasive measure in Canada, would the Charter protect us? If not, would Canadians accept a mandatory ID card in the name of security?
Stockwell Day is already on record saying he favours a national ID card. He wants to tie it to the gun registry, passport and drivers licence.
Charter won’t stop this.
I think Day is right. We need national ID cards or the terrorists win.
[...] The Politic points us towards an article in the Telegraph.co.uk outlining new identity card requirements in the UK – they seem to be missing the point, compared to what the law does travel times are the least of their worries. Labour will force everyone to give fingerprints at ID card interview centres [...]
If national ID cards are implemented the terrorists have won, and our charter will not protect us.
Balancing security and privacy is an issue that needs broader national consultation. While the blogsphere is an interesting place for such dialogue, don’t you think that the Government of Canada has a duty to find out what Canadians really think on this topic?
Some places is a threat for national id cards for people. Be careful about security and privacy when including your identity.