Actually, I never could understand Britons’ resistance to ID cards, given all the tracking and surveillance already being done mainly for commercial marketing purposes on cards and equipment everyone is willingly signed up to use.
Until, I was listening to a phone in radio program (LBC) on the topic, and multiple people rang in to say that ID cards would be yet another threat for people of colour.
OK, at 05:00 UK time it may have been mainly Uber drivers but I could understand their point.
Facial recognition + an increase in stop & search has in recent years increased for people of colour. Possibly not without reason given crime statistics. But does go some distance towards explaining anxiety about the proposal.
The issue against ID cards may not be fear of loss of freedom or privacy so much as fear and distrust of those governing the country.
I think it’s generally more than a tad irrational, not least in respect of those who don’t have a driving licence and increasing demands for voter verification ID. My UK wallet’s contents included a European photo driving licence, S African photo driving licence (weird souvenir), photo staff ID card and two photo cards for different university libraries
For me - it changed when the Tories betrayed the principle with Windrush - I was against ID cards because they were - should have been - constitutionally unnecessary.
I don’t understand why people make it ethically complicated, ID cards are practical and so useful in everyday situations, like so far this this week, buying a car, collecting a parcel from a courier and becoming a reader in a departmental archive.
Prefer not to cite Wikip, but this quote is interesting:-
Generally, most countries in the world issue identity cards, with less than 10 countries worldwide not issuing them, mostly confined to the anglosphere.
So perhaps the question should be, Why do anglophones…?’
I suppose it would make a difference if ID cards had an embedded chip ir no chip?
Smart chips embedded in ID cards may be used for any purpose the government chooses, at any time. On the other hand, it might be feasible to have photo ID cards with non-tracking chips, but maybe with security design aspects to prevent forgery.
Before chips in ID cards were available, I held ID cards in several countries. Incidentally, even after HK upgraded our ID cards with embedded chips, it was actually the ‘Octopus’ cards (like UK Oyster cards I think) that we were more concerned about because they were used for public transport, small purchases, tickets, even in the library. Whereas, the ID only was presented passing the border. (Or if the police stopped you for jaywalking ).
If a state introduces an ID card, it also introduces legislation governing when its carrying and production are required. I’m happy with providing identification for a mortgage, or any of the other exa mples you gave, because I’m choosing to apply for a mortgage or whatever.
And note none of those procedures involves producing an ID card, because they don’t exist in the UK, which I’d have thought wholly undermines your points, n’est-ce pas?
True, but not everyone has a passport, cost £100 plus, nor a driving licence, and as for credit cards… It’s actually the more economically deprived Brits and immigrants who’d benefit most from a national ID card
Yes, but what’s wrong with a little piece of plastic in your wallet, that’s more convenient and universally accepted?
Don’t know about the UK, but here most utility bills are online and aren’t acceptable if over three months old. And as for carrying your birth certificate around with you, particularly if you’re a foreigner?
@JohnH and @DrMarkH , your problem is that none of the things you’ve mentioned needs an ID card now and they can and are all being done by other, simpler means.
I’m no longer against ID cards in principle, but that’s only since your Mrs May and the rest of that rotten lot ignored the constitution and deported British citizens whose only fault was the colour of their skin.
The key point, I think, is that our constitution and laws work differently to those in other countries. What you need in France isn’t what you need in the UK, for that reason.
And I’m generally against handing the state more power unless it’s necessary.
The point is that you shouldn’t have to carry anything around. At all. Driving - that’s a regulated activity. But as a ped out in public, you shouldn’t need any kind of ID.
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