plasticwrap

Keeping Tabs on the Law-Abiding

Britain has announced a proposal to bring in National Identity cards in 2008:

Invoking a global threat of terrorism, the British government announced plans on Tuesday to introduce national identity cards for the first time since the World War II era. An opposition legislator said the government wanted to create a "climate of fear" in advance of elections expected next year. - From the nytimes.com website.

I'm kind of confused about the helpfulness of ID cards in catching those without them. It's like when the police over here say that photo-drivers-licence is to help reduce the number of people driving without a licence. I'm not sure how they expect that to work. Surely, if you were willing to steal a car and drive it illegally before the photo ID card, you wouldn't stop and think: Oh, shit, that's right. The new law says I must have my photo ID licence with me at all times when driving. Better call a cab.

And when the cops pull you over and you don't have your card on you, all they do is use the comms to check you out - and they have to double-check with comms anyway, when you give them your licence. I really don't see that photo licences achieve anything except giving the government a digital image of both your face and your signature... and a whole lot of other information that can be used to steal your identity.

I really, really hope that the police database was created by a team of super-geniuses. I also hope it's not connected to the internet. Or any internal network that is ever connected to the internet.

I mean, the governments all over the world have a record of embarrassing themselves with sensitive records that should have been shredded or locked away turning up fluttering through city streets. Once you get it off paper and in to a digital format, it's even easier to compromise and copy. I don't want my personal identification turning up on some sell-list over in Moscow.