ID Cards are good for you

Letters Brits want ID cards, not worried about privacy
Make ID cards compulsory, urges Oracle boss

Kieren,

An interesting article made only slightly more entertaining with the inclusion of your own opinions delivered with rapier-like subtely .

Yes, I am one of those that agree that ID cards could benefit us all. Never mind terrorist acts, start by thinking (even) smaller. Think of the spotty oik in a baseball cap that's just thrashed the bollocks off your newly stolen Audi before pissing on the seats and torching it. Or perhaps the old lady that's just bought a 42" Plasma TV with extra trimmings on your freshly signed Barclaycard?

No, no no. That's just an infringement of privacy and civil rights. Privacy to do what, exactly? Go for a walk without being filmed picking your nose on 250 CCTV cameras? Rack up a hefty credit card tab without the whole of Western Civilisation tracking your every spending movement? The same civil liberties that may just contribute to your flying to a destination without tunnelling through any populated buildings?

Stop talking bollocks. Our privacy was extinguished a long time ago. In one way or another it's all contributed to you being able to sleep at night without getting your throat cut, and I suspect you have a lot of applicants.

Toby Gill

Don't worry - be happy. This reader forsees a secure network (is there such a thing) manned by highly ethical civil servants who'd never dream of giving your details to an employer, or the police. Or any dodgy geezer.

We all have numerous details available on the supply of our national insurance number anyway; this would simply formalise and automate the process. It would also mean that for simple things like checking age before entry into a club would be a matter of swiping a card; rather than relying on the discretion of an often-underpayed bored bouncer.

I really think that privacy is only an issue if we had some kind of ridiculous scheme whereby all those details you mentioned were printed on the card that anyone can see. So long as they have to be obtained through the use of a secure computer network; whereby only the relevant information is available to the party that is requesting it; I don't see it to be too much of an issue...

Dave Bamber


While this reader would sell his wife and children for the security of an ID card:-

Do you have something to hide??

I am totally in favor of putting ID's on cards for simple reasons (that you can't seem to comprehend)

* people will find out your personnal [sic] beliefs or previous 'questionable' activities if they really want to (or have a need to, as in police investigations);

* they can see my physical traits and I WANT them to... after all, that's the point of having an ID card.

I'm extremely ashamed that fools like you think:

* all citizens will discriminate against a person if we know their religious background;

* don't want to be capable of following a persons activities if we need to question them about some 'suspicious activity'.

Grow up, stop your hand-wringing, and get over it... Electronic identities are more secure than passports and can be revoked (or reactivated) with the click of a button.

Todd Whippler



And finally:-

You postulated that the survey participants were 'a freak group of easily-swayed imbeciles' who came up with the following responses.

Photograph: 97, yes; 3, no
Eye colour: 92, yes; 7, no; 1; don't know

I'm actually more disturbed to consider what they think the photograph will be of if it doesn't include their eyes.

Edward Howson

Ah yes, this is where those after-hours office japes of photocopying your privates come back to haunt you with a vengeance... ®