What do you think about proposed ID cards?

[RosieLeaLovesTea]

I am not sure what I think about proposed ID cards?
does the UK public want it?
how much it is going to cost to bring them in?
what are the positives and negatives?

They're drowning in immigration issues, which is labours selling point.

As pp said Germany have highest unauthorised migrant numbers in EU. It’s not doing anything there, and scheme is what Labour are relying on.

I’m horrified by the idea. It’s interesting how the solution to every crisis is magically digital ID. Blair has been after this for decades.

Anyone who thinks this won’t be used and abused by government is either fantastically naive or wilfully ignorant.

We aren’t just sleepwalking into dystopia but welcoming it in while we bang our pots and pans in celebration.

Yes. You’re probably right about the evidence actually shows that ID won’t help much with unauthorized immigration.

However, they will make it harder for anyone here illegally to access government services, healthcare, housing and ‘proper’ jobs.

Judging on the experience in other countries and our legal frameworks, culture and economy, I think it highly unlikely that the introduction of ID cards is going to create some kind of dystopia and a demolition of democracy. It would take much more for that to happen.

Not everyone has a driving licence or a passport.

Yes, as just stated in my previous post, I don’t think the government is right about ID cards reducing immigration but I do think they have many benefits. And of course some potential issues around security etc

How would they actually make everyone have the digital id on their phone ? I don’t want it so I wouldn’t put it on there. Or would they deactivate all phones that don’t have the owner’s digital id on them??? 😱

I didn't have a digital ID card when I lived in Germany for 5 years from 2015 - is it just for non citizens, or only in certain areas?

Also I don't have a smartphone so will I be forced to buy one in order to get a new job?

I highly doubt there is any realistic chance of the UK moving towards Chinese style surveillance.
Lots of people (including politicians) thought we could never have a lockdown.

Until we did.

@TonTonMacoute This has Tony Blair’s filthy greedy fingerprints all over it. I distinctly remember him saying early on "I want every household to have the internet", back when the internet at home was still a novelty. He wasn't being altruistic. He had foresight about how useful the internet would be to control the public. His only regret is probably that he wasn't prime minister in 2020. He would have loved it.

I can see our future is changing rapidly, and this, though unwanted by many will be pushed through because it is needed for next steps.

Jobs have to go to those entitled to work here, because there are fewer and fewer jobs available. The pushing of retail to the internet means fewer high st jobs, food delivery services mean fewer jobs available in hospitality, teams meetings mean fewer transport and hotel needs... AI can do so much now, imagine the future... so many jobs will disappear.
When there are way too few jobs for the population, "universal" income (or civil disobedience) will rear its head. Cash will disappear. People will have their allocation based on some sort of status... do you see how quickly things descend into dystopia.
(I am against digital ID, but do see it will become a necessary evil and they are trying to get this stage in place - painting it with "show YOU are entitled to work here")

Yes I don’t like her either

I genuinely think we should all have embedded microchips. A 5-minute trip to the doctor, keep the plaster on for 2-days. Sorted,

If your phone’s dead, you will be regarded as dead. It’s your own fault,

Anyone in two minds will be allowed to have two ID Cards,

Comparing UK ID Cards in 2025 to Nazi Germany in 1940 is a bit of a stretch,

Most EU countries have had them for ages and they really don't change anything, maybe apart from being helpful with travel and bureaucracy. It's a non-event, and if otherwise then it's positive.

Not cards, a digital scheme. And in 2025 easier to link up access and use AI

I think Starmer has grander plans with this app. Idea

I can't think of any information the government doesn't already have about me online anyway, once you give them everything they need for passport, driving license, tax free childcare applications, tax returns etc
So I don't get what the big deal is.

My life is totally legal and boring. Nothing to see here so on one level, I think whatever.
On the other? What is the cost? The country is on the bones of its arse and I can personally think of many, many places the billions this will cost could be put to better use.
And as for it preventing illegal employment? Christ alive, don’t make me laugh! The places that employ people illegally, cash in hand, will continue to do just that.

Well you can be first. Suddenly there are 5 minutes x 60 million people = 300 million minutes or 5,000,000 hours of medical time spent microchipping the population. Are we going voluntarily or being marched in?

No hacking risk then? BA, M&S, Jaguar, M&S, Harrods to name a few.

i mentioned that on my other posts.

Totally in favour of it.

1. we already have a digital and analogue footprint, it’s just that it’s linked to an email address which could be made up anywhere. I’d far prefer a secure system where everyone doing important things was a real person.
2. we’ve also already got NI numbers, then passports, drivers licenses etc. why on earth wouldn’t you streamline these if you’ve got nothing to hide.
3. personally I think they should be mandatory for any job, and linked to your NI numbers. Maybe more people would pay the taxes they actually owe and the scheme would pay for itself.