Bryne wants to own you.
Bryne must think us all fools to trust that the government will keep out ID safe.
As the article’s reference to previous events have shown, the Government is not capable of understanding the technology and it limits.
They have made serious errors in implementing ID databases in the past. I doubt very much that a project of such size and complexity will be completely problem free.
There is the crux of the issue, if you have only one ID provider and that gets it wrong, how are you going to convince them? I shudder to think of the capability to disrupt the victim’s life.
Having IDs spread over different areas helps the ID owner have fall back, when things do go wrong with an ID source.
"Byrne argues that the costs of these unregulated and incompatible private sector systems would be such that the poor would be unable to afford to protect their identities - it will be "those that can't afford their own defences" who suffer."
The comment above can be address with regulations and standards instead of creating a mother of ID systems. The Data Protection Act can be updated and improved to require the correct procedures and protections for ID data as well as regulating who can store them.
Many of Byrne arguments can be dealt with by careful thought and consideration to existing ID systems. For instance, buying by your credit card shows you are over 18 years old.
Of course the government need an ID scheme, but making us all subject to requests to show "your papers", only leads to abuses of the system, not only by those who are allow to use it, but those who will use it to control you. How about, if you want to work for me, you have to hand over your ID card. I keep it, while you do what I tell you. Annoy me and you'll find that you are having a hard time with no ID. Somehow this example sounds exactly like what one of the aims for the ID card scheme are.
Other such fears I have of abuses are control of movement; your ID does not let you out of your local area.
Revenue generation; a "congestion charge" for commuters travelling by any means, anyone? Swipe your ID here that’s £8 to enter London, now pay your tube fair.
Are things like the above possible? Yes, and more so with such a system in place.
For what it’s worth, I will never support an all encompassing ID card scheme and never anyone that forces me to carry around “My Papers”, while a suspect government is in place.
Yes a bright future. Where’s the best place to move to?