Digital ID's as a control tool

[Stardustnush]

Taxes aside this was mentioned in passing in yesterday's budget... Digital ID's. The concept alone freaks me out. If you had anything to do with eastern Europe ( and other areas) you'd know that the ID card was the golden key. You couldn't do diddly squat without it. For it to be online I think it is even more worrying. AIBU to think this socialist govt is seeking ultimate control?
Where do you stand on this topic?

This. Anyone who agrees to it is an idiot

So totalitarianism can only occur once and will never be repeated?

A glimpse into the future. Only those who've had to fight for their freedom actually value it. Those who take it for granted are doomed to lose it.

And there doesn't need to be barbed wire on fences to stop people moving about. Merely being taxed or priced out of owning/fueling a car is enough.

If it is for companies to prove you are who you say you are and you are entitled to work in this country - from a centralised database (created by the lowest bidder) - why will we, the people, need to carry round access on a smartphone.

Surely it would make more sense for employers to have access to interrogate the database (in your presence for whatever biometrics are required). A "closed" system is much more secure (and cheaper and quicker to create) than one based on access by 250 different types of phone, android, apple, smart, not so smart ... new, old... up to date and not so much...

Deleted duplicate

I dont think it will make a difference to anything? Happy to be told im wrong.

Everyone has a NI number, most people have photo driving licence and passport. HMRC/NHS records/benefits/DVLA we all have a digital record.

Employers should ask now that ls not the issue. Those who don’t want to still won’t.

Haha! Exactly! Because you need to keep tabs on the people you already know of to identify the people you don't know of 😵‍💫 this is the kind of logic we're talking about here. And the fact that the person standing to benefit from this is Blair's son is not at all suspicious 🤔

Sidetracked. This got my attention. I had to read more. It’s thought provoking. The Canadian protestors were protesting Covid lockdown restrictions and were blockading major trade routes and disrupting supply chains. Sounds pretty damn serious to me and in the ‘national emergency’ criteria. Freezing bank accounts is controversial, but something would have had to be done to protect the public. What though? Tear gas and police batons? Freezing bank accounts seems less brutal.

"Well if you don't know, I'm not going to tell you"

🙄

it was very much a tool to keep ppl in line

I'm ok with being in line

That’s a high level of trust there in the people determine the line. You could have a change of gov if it’s this one you feel ok with.

How about not being able to travel on public transport, gain entry to a museum, theme park or anything fun?
All recorded for government scrutiny,
How about if the government could make some people’s cards “glitchy”.
That’s the case already in China.

What if the line moves to a place you don’t like?

Also not in favour due to the whole digital aspect. What bothers me most is that chances are AI will be implemented to analyse the information held and we'll be in the realms of "computer sayz no" for arbitrary ideological / polifical reasobs before we know it.

People like to think that we're immune to such things as China's social credit systems, but it's fully embraced as a concept by such groups as the WEF (which is not a conspiracy theory).

There's that old saying about incompetence versus malice, and there's plenty of both endemic in the digital world as it stands.

I think the Covid app was a dry run to see how compliant people will be "for a greater good" and I think the whole leverage of the immigration issue is the next iteration and particularly venal.

And of course follow the money to see the true beneficiaries.....

We already have digital ID - it's just labelled Driving Licenses & Passports! I've just had to renew my 90-year old, frail & dementia suffering MIL's passport so I can submit her self-assessment tax form! She isn't going to be travelling anywhere (& we let her driving licence lapse for the safety of all concerned) but HMRC required photo ID to prove who she is - despite already having a Self Assessment Tax Number and a Government Gateway log-in!

So I'd rather have a genuine 1-stop ID than this pretense that the UK doesn't require ID - but you need a passport or a photo driving licence, (even if you shouldn't drive & can't travel) on order to interact with Government departments as required by law.

If you have a Smart phone or intend to visit the EU soon, then you're already sharing more info with the EU & the tech companies than the UK government holds on you! So let's stop pretending we're different / superior to other countries and be practical about these things

Of course AI makes things possible that weren’t before. Look at charities unhappy about benefit recipients’ bank accounts being assessed rn.

This will ramp up quickly. If people thought the behaviour change controls in Covid were onerous it’s far easier to use a digital system to get better results.

I hate the idea. I think it has the potential to be a very dangerous tool in a sinister government's toolbox when used in conjunction with face recognition technology and no jury trials for minor offences. Just think about what that might look like!

You're part of the problem 🐑

This is being billed as the answer to cutting illegal working. That could become easily, as it is in countries like France, if the government did their job properly.

The majority of uk citizen can easily prove who they are and have some form of id. I think this will cost the country billions (the civil service have a shocking history of incompetence when dealing with IT systems) and it won’t do anything about illegal working. No doubt the contract will go to Blair’s son too.

I really hope that there is push back like there was with the poll tax and people refuse to do this.

Are you my Dad in disguise?

Meaning? Is it a dig, disbelieving what @smallglassbottleis saying?

You are all glossing over the fact that if you have a passport or drivers licence the government already have pictures of you. If you post pictures of yourself online, the machines have already profiled you.

The id ship has sailed. AI has seen to that.