Would you support mandatory identity cards in the UK?

Well, the Online Safety Act is already outsourcing any ID data obtained to a third party company, YOTI. I would not be at all surprised to find a Digital ID card's data similarly outsourced. It'll only be a matter of time before that data is leaked/hacked etc and ends up on the Dark Web. Anyone who thinks our data will be safe is frankly deceiving themselves.

www.yoti.com/blog/digital-id-online-safety-act-effective-private-reusable/

@Dbank sorry, I mean to separate the two - we give data to USA on most websites freely through Google etc already but I meant to add a separate proviso of not outsourcing the data to another Country via a company, as happened with Horizon. We need to create the database in UK and ensure the data is securely held. The buck stops with us.

Yes, the last time I remember this being properly discussed was in the 90's and it felt like a lot of men decided it would be against their rights and privacy concerns. Now we are very used to giving data away freely I think attitudes have changed. A lot of the men who were anti are now the Farage Followers who hate immigration and would rather be part of the UK Club and have a card to prove it I suspect.

On a more societal level it w/could help greatly with computerised healthcare and social cohesion on services. As long as we put the data in correctly, as ever, and don't outsource all the data to an American firm like we did with the post office...

A provisional licence carries medical requirements that some people will not be able to satisfy. If they are to be used as ID, you'd need a new category of "non driver" drivers licence. (I believe some US states have such a thing, so it's not as whacky as it stands).

However, this is Brtiain for Gods sake ? We are unique ! We are special !! We are exceptional !!! And as such it simply will not do to make a small tweak to an existing system that works perfectly well at the minimum possible cost.

THAT IS NOT HOW WE DO THINGS IN THIS COUNTRY.

We have to have a complex, impenetrable, eye wateringly costly system that takes decades to deliver, never quite works, and that all my mates can make a fucking fortune from by inflating the costs when the inevitable public tenders fly.

We are the country that gave the world HS2 and UC. And we want to keep those testaments to how really crap we can be at the big things.

Why? For what purpose?

The problem with driving licences which are a cheaper option is they are not open to everyone, for example if your eyesight isn't ok you can't have one and other medical reasons, these people have to get an expensive passport even if never travelling abroad and it is quite bulky to carry around.

Yes ,didn't use to but think they are essential now.

yes I think everyone is aware that is possible.

yes it is is obvious, so not quite sure why you said they can’t?!

to quote your post:

“…..we are already carrying around tracking devices- everything from our smartphones to our Google accounts to our Tesco club card.

my point was the government can’t track me through any of those existing, non mandatory, methods.”

I was simply pointing out that they can track you through those non-mandatory methods.

Yes but I didn't realise I could get one as the DVLA says you need photo ID which I don't have.
(I now know there's ways around this).
But if someone is a non driver and has nothing to do with driving in their life it might not even cross their mind to think of a driving license as a thing to have.

When we were buying a house the forms of ID the solicitor, estate agent etc were happy to accept included a bank statement, utility bill or similar showing our names and current address, that's all. (We had already given our names and address when we started house hunting and signed up with an EA. Viewing paper bills corroborated it. Not kept or photocopied, a note was made that the info was verified. )

Absolutely should be a thing. They should also be free of charge as the technology is there now.

Captive market, though. And obviously a private contractor responsible for the implementation.

Basic GCSE Economics. If somebody desperately needs it because it's a legal requirement, there's no possible incentive to make it less than the cost of a passport - after all, the validation requirements would also need to be comparable, photo verified by a specific group, providing birth certificates, other ID, rental agreements, mortgage statements, etc, etc.

Naturally, there will also be people unable to satisfy the evidential requirements as well as not being able to afford it.

Because they can already get a provisional licence

Yes.... I DON'T think they should be mandatory.
Definitely not.
But available for those that want them would be bloody useful.

Yeah it's possible (been there, done that) but it's a pain in the bum sometimes.
I'm definitely going to look into getting a provisional license.

I do understand that.

What I don’t agree with is that everyone else has to have one too. This is what the post is about. MANDATORY ID cards.

So if you have those why don't you understand that some people want basically the same thing as a passport but in a convenient credit card size card they can stick in their wallet?

I dont have official photo ID. In the last 12 months ive managed to collect a parcel, open a bank account and get a job including DBS check. It's all more complicated, but possible.

When I get my first pay from the new job I'm treating myself to a provisional.

A provisional license would work for that.

Passport
driving licence

The usual.

My Italian ID card cost a whole 5.65 Euros a few days ago.

Not being provocative but can you explain why you’ve posted this? I can’t work out what it’s supposed to be adding to the discussion?

all I can think is you’re pointing out the British government can track you if they have reason (and in some cases legal authorisation) to - crime, national security etc. but that’s so obvious you must be saying something else, I’m sure?

@Pinkfluffypencilcase do you have any official photo ID?
What do you use if you need ID for something like renting a home?