Comments on: Identity cards… http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2005/05/29/696/ Because all the other domain names were taken Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:04:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Iain http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2005/05/29/696/comment-page-1/#comment-1023 Iain Thu, 02 Jun 2005 11:22:59 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=696#comment-1023 All I can think of is that they ("they" apparently being Tony, since policy doesn't shift even an inch when they replace one Home Sec with another) really, really want the central database for Something. If it really was about the cards themselves, then the central database is an unnecessary and hugely expensive white-elephant. Decent public-key encryption means they could confirm the data on the card hasn't been faked without any massive infrastructure phoning a central point of weakness. Now, the Inland Revenue already has a big lovely database of info about each taxpayer, the Electoral Roll is another on everyone who can vote, and the DVLA obviously knows about anyone who can legally drive (which is most of the adults), along with the current passport system. The digital photo id on the DVLA's card is even enough to keep the demand for an international biometric passport happy. So why do they want to do all this over again? I really, really can't come up with an answer that isn't either scary because it implies they're up to something nasty, or scary because it implies they're that monumentally dumb. All I can think of is that they (“they” apparently being Tony, since policy doesn’t shift even an inch when they replace one Home Sec with another) really, really want the central database for Something. If it really was about the cards themselves, then the central database is an unnecessary and hugely expensive white-elephant. Decent public-key encryption means they could confirm the data on the card hasn’t been faked without any massive infrastructure phoning a central point of weakness.

Now, the Inland Revenue already has a big lovely database of info about each taxpayer, the Electoral Roll is another on everyone who can vote, and the DVLA obviously knows about anyone who can legally drive (which is most of the adults), along with the current passport system. The digital photo id on the DVLA’s card is even enough to keep the demand for an international biometric passport happy.

So why do they want to do all this over again? I really, really can’t come up with an answer that isn’t either scary because it implies they’re up to something nasty, or scary because it implies they’re that monumentally dumb.

]]> By: Paul Squires http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2005/05/29/696/comment-page-1/#comment-1015 Paul Squires Mon, 30 May 2005 19:14:16 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=696#comment-1015 Of course it's not too late to do something about unpopular policies (as the French have shown). Everyone can sign up the campaign against ID cards (www.no2id.com) and try and raise public awareness on this issue. Of course it’s not too late to do something about unpopular policies (as the French have shown). Everyone can sign up the campaign against ID cards (www.no2id.com) and try and raise public awareness on this issue.

]]> By: Murky.org http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2005/05/29/696/comment-page-1/#comment-1014 Murky.org Mon, 30 May 2005 06:45:29 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=696#comment-1014 <strong>ID Cards to cost 300 quid</strong> The costs of the ID card scheme is to be 300 quid for every person in the country. The total cost is now quoted as 18 billion, this is a big increase on a previously quoted value of 3 billion.... ID Cards to cost 300 quid

The costs of the ID card scheme is to be 300 quid for every person in the country. The total cost is now quoted as 18 billion, this is a big increase on a previously quoted value of 3 billion….

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