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back to article NSW premier pitches 'digital licence' as election stunt

In the throes of an election campaign, the NSW Government has hit upon a way to guarantee that police can require people to unlock their phones: that's where Premier Mike Baird wants your driver's license to be. Pitched as a money-saving measure because today's printed-plastic licences cost tens of millions of dollars, the …

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  1. Spaceman Spiff

    To paraphrase (or quote) Forest Gump

    Stupid is as stupid does!

    3 0 Reply
  2. LaeMing
    Facepalm

    Since I don't have any personal use for a smartphone (feature-phone does me fine). I assume if this becomes compulsory one day, the government will be shipping me a smart-phone free of charge! And my mum too.

    Also, I assume it will support ALL currently actively-supported Phone OSes. Not just the iWinDroid trinity.

    Also also, what if the battery dies? Or the phone gets broken? Are you banged up until it is recharged or repaired? What happens when a police officer 'accidentally' drops it in the mud?

    5 0 Reply
  3. Winkypop Silver badge
    Big Brother

    Relax

    What could possibly go wrong?

    "Sorry Officer, me batteries gorn flat"

    2 0 Reply
    1. LaeMing
      Reply Icon
      Unhappy

      Re: Relax

      Phone charging stations in every holding cell (dare you use them!).

      2 0 Reply
  4. notowenwilson

    Bah! You're not serious are you? Oh, you are... crap

    Does that mean if there is a power outage of more than 18 hours I'm not allowed to drive anymore since my phone would be flat by then?

    Perhaps they should include some form of physical backup that was durable, difficult to counterfeit and could easily fit into a wallet, pocket or other such place.

    3 0 Reply
  5. MrDamage Silver badge

    Wonder how the cops will react

    When I hand them 2 tin cans connected by string, with a low quality sketch of what is supposed to be me on the side of it?

    Seriously though, I'm curious about the permissions the app will ask for. I'm willing to bet my left nut on it demanding both coarse and fine location services. Betcha they pull some shite out of their arses like "It's so those who go into areas with an accident/police operation can be forwarned of delays".

    Liuttle good that does when I'm not even allowed to glance in the general direction of my phone while driving.

    Clueless twats.

    4 0 Reply
    1. Diogenes
      Reply Icon

      Re: Wonder how the cops will react

      Currently doing privacy dot points with my year 11 Software Design Class ....

      they came up with about 30 different privacy problems with this proposal in 15 minutes. As the 2nd part of this exercise I asked them to consider what permissions the app should have (none) and the ones it would probably ask for & a possible justification. When we listed them all we had every permission, and a "good" ie "think of the children"(TM) reason for each an every one.

      1 0 Reply
  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    ELECTION STUNT !!!

    SEE TITLE

    0 0 Reply

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