Do Brits generally approve of the new compulsory national digital ID?

[MsAmerica]

I admit I don't know much about it, but I find it creepy.

Do you think it's in reaction to the immigrant problem, or what?

Blimey, talk about hyperbole! Don’t be so dramatic. People thought the same about aeroplanes when they were first invented, and penicillin, electricity, TV and the World Wide Web.

If it would lead to loss of freedoms, why haven’t those losses happened in Spain, Finland, Iceland etc?

Do you work for the post office?
Do you have a passport that uses facial recognition?
Is there a reasons someone might want to ‘hack’ you?

What on earth is ‘mission creep’?

Unless you only ever pay with cash, you’re already giving all those places you listed your digital ID via whatever method you pay with.

And guess what - here you are using the INTERNET!!!

Yes but it’s not held centrally.

imagine ‘soontobe60 has been to a lot of pubs recently, let’s restrict nhs services’ or they are out late we’d better put car insurance up. Digital id is very different to a physical id card

I think its creepy and its potential for mis use is huge.

I think they will get it through in the anti immigration agenda.

I understand we already have id for things, but I dont think its all linked together and I hardly ever have to show it. I didnt have a passport for 10 years as I didnt travel.

I don't but I'm retired so won't need it for work so can probably hold off having it, they will end up having to do a card version for those not online so I will eventually have one of those I suppose, I managed fine in Covid without having that track and trace app and still went out a lot. They keep saying it's just for work so why would I want one anyway, it can't be just for work and retired people need it.

I'm not bothered about a card version but I don't really use apps on my phone and wouldn't want to use an app like this. I have no banking or financial apps on my phone or NHS app type things.

it’s pretty common to have an ID card, I’ve lived in countries where carrying them is compulsory without issue. It does feel that a digital card is skipping a step.

That said I suspect it’ll be handy for collecting parcels. I’m not really worried about privacy I think that ship sailed with smartphones. If I’m honest I think that as a boring, law abiding person it’ll have no impact on me, possibly the police might ask to see it if I was ever pulled over or in an accident.

I do wonder if it could be used to curb low level crime in future for example everyone would need to scan ID on way into supermarket to keep out known shoplifters. I suspect some people would think that’s unreasonable but I’ve seen so many blokes leg it out the door of the local Tescos clutching booze.

So fraudsters will limit themselves to one type of fraud? There will be big big business on the dark Web getting round the ID system.

I don’t think I have a problem with having a paper / plastic ID card but I won’t have a digital one, and most people I’ve discussed it with feel the same. I’ve not heard what is being proposed for people who don’t have smart phones, but I will give up my phone before I’ll have an ID app on it.

I think if they had said it was a card like a driving licence with an app option if you wanted, a lot of people wouldn't have been so against it.

I saw this on Facebook and it did make me chuckle. I have no issue with a digital ID. My life is not the sort that brings a risk by people knowing my details. But I do think that anything compulsory comes with a cost to freedom that needs to be considered.

I use the NHS.
ACSG (2022), Synnovis(2024) just a couple of recent attacks where patient data was stolen.

Took me a long time to trust mumsnet itself again after the big 2016 hack, (and again a data breech in 2019) My password was one of those stolen and put on the dark web, i can still see it on the "is my password out there" type interrogators. I am "lucky" that I have always had different passwords for everything. And now I don't care about "continuity" and delete/open accounts every so often.

Clearly we have polar opinions on this since you have replied to all my posts on here.

Thats fine.

The countries you list have not been without controversies over the years, based on exactly the concerns I raised.

Lets not forget we have had a few “dry runs” of this with Covid vacc passports, debate around facial recognition tech and per mile taxation on roads, and high street shops data harvesting effectively to the point where you need to give your data to shop with them physically.

Have considered the other perspective on this. Of course a unified ID would make life more convenient, I just don’t think the benefits outweigh the costs.

Also, a lot of fraud prevention is common sense. DH had his ID stolen. We got a phone call from UC when they were doing the rapid claim system, and I told them we hadn't tried to claim. The same man phoned again, and I said the same thing. The third time, I said 'i recognise your voice... You've phoned me twice already. He then looked at his list and there had been 4 applications in DH's name. The man had just been working down his list and hadn't even noticed that 4 of the applicants were the same. It caused us all sorts of issues because we received Tax Credits at the time, so it automatically cancelled our Tax Credits and there was no mechanism to roll it back, so they had to use a special procedure to reinstate them and then they had to manually calculate our Tax Credits each month for months afterwards. Then, when we did move over to Universal z Credit, we had to go through extra checks to make sure we weren't committing fraud. Gun times.

Anyway, my point is that any system will be exploited. I don't think this will change anything.

How would it work for the elderly?
My dad is 85 and doesn't have a mobile. At his age he'd never be able to work one if he did.

They claim it's to stop employers employing people illegally. Somehow, I've managed to check hundreds of employees" right to work and I e never had a problem. ID cards are not needed for this purpose therefore im against it. Prosecutions and big fines will cure the problem of employing people without the right to work.

If they said they were going to randomly check people to ensure they should be here then I could understand it, but they've clearly said that is not the purpose.

I’m not bothered in the slightest. I don’t have the headspace to worry about what ifs like this. It’s a digital world, let’s embrace it.

I was anti having to carry an id card at all times, but I see this as bringing together all government databases so they know what’s happening. Whilst I get those saying they don’t want government to know I also though it’s necessary for better services in the future. Many countries have them, we don’t have huge stories about them being hacked. As an employer if someone non British gets a job they give me dob and a code, i put it in a site and see their picture and that they have the right to work, it’s much better than looking at a passport. To me it’s all very welcome, we have loads of legacy systems, government it needs a massive overhaul, bring together passport, ni, hmrc, nhs, social security, driving. In time it could link so much, if you fail an eye test it could notify dvla and keep us all safer, if you lose your job it could notify benefits and adjust any welfare you’re due. It will take a decade or more to be really useful, but let’s get started.

With the usual cost overruns on large public sector projects we can probably multiply that by a factor of 3 at least. So very roughly £60 per adult, and what's the bet they push the costs onto the individual, as they do with drivers licenses, passports etc. I wonder how far they'll get with this when the already cash strapped general public realise they are going to have to shell out hundreds of pound per household for something the vast majority couldn't care less about.

Unbothered. We already have passports and driving licences, this is no different.

And yes it’s compulsory but most people already have one of the above and if they don’t, it’s because they don’t travel or drive, not because they think the government is out to get them.

He keeps banging on that it's for work so us old retired folks shouldn't need one anyway.