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?

Apparently people with ILR in this country have already got digital ID. I think if it is gradually increased year on year it could work well.

Biggest problem I have with it is how much it’s going to cost. And whatever is said it’s going to cost will be a fraction of the price, due to buggering about and unforeseen events.

I think it’s a lack of knowledge or education of U.K. people.
1 they have no idea how many 30,000 is for example which is the number of boat people who have arrived this year. It is the population of my local town (with lots of schools,hospital et )
2 They have no idea that other countries have id cards and are happy with them but think everyone has fiddly passports which you e got to lug around hoping no one nicks your bag.
So they think boat people dont matter and I’d cards are scary

it is not necessary as a way to control Illegal Migration. We need every organisation to apply the existing laws and regulations that we have. Then after that, assess what we have achieved and if necessary modify and apply Stricter Criteria.
No need to spend £6bn as they did before.

Is that true or more misinformation.

Reading government information further the ID card is being developed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-id-scheme-explainer/digital-id-scheme-explainer

Euan Blairs company Mulitverse is provides coaching/learning, including apprentices’ to global companies.

https://www.multiverse.io/en-GB/about

I think actually tackling the unofficial economy which gives jobs that are attractive to people coming to this country compared with others would have as much of an impact.

Start with a simple one, no L plate delivery drivers.

What controversies based on those concerns you posted have occurred in Finland? Because I live in Finland - the government cannot take money out of our accounts, it cannot stop us entering shops, it cannot suspend our access to the internet, so what has happened here?

When did Finland introduce it? Was it a while back?

I'm not really fussed about it, but considering the other priorities it would appear money could be better spent elsewhere.

I find that people who are worried about ID cards but are happy to carry a smart phone are the most bizarre idiots I've come across. It's the same people who are scared of vaccines but think nothing of taking drugs or having cosmetic surgery.

The phone we all carry tracks every thing you do, it records your conversations , logs your opinions, holds your bank details, holds health data, location details in real time....and really are you honestly worried about ID cards. A crime committed can easily be extracted from your phone whether it's a electronic crime or a real world one ...you phone has an access bridge that can be accessed by the police and the security services without you even knowing it. If a criminal commits a serious crime the Will look at cloud data on who was in the vicinity, they will then access CCTV to identify an individual and cross examine both. They will then look at your geocache data and search history....that's all without actually talking to you. By the time they arrest you it's a done deal

In Belgium the "digital ID" app doesn't hold all your data in one place - the central record has your name, address, DOB, civil status etc. You use the app to access your own records - health, finance, pension, bank account etc. My doctor doesn't have information on my finances. The app has multi factor authentication.
This month I have used my physical ID card to:

• go on holiday within Schengen
• pick up a parcel
• download the warranty for the new Ipad I bought.
• Can also be used for prescriptions, seeing the GP so I can claim back any costs etc. If you go to the hospital its the first thing they ask for. No health tourism here.

This month i have used the app to:

• Log into my online bank account
• Apply to continue my child benefit (as dd is at Uni and i have to renew the claim each year whilst she remains in FT education)
• Buy services cheques (to pay our cleaner) and make the payment to her (Belgium tries to cut down on cash in hand payments / black economy by incentivising people to work through agencies - and technically it's illegal to do otherwise)
• Download and pay my car tax
• Download and pay our tax bill
• Look at my pension statement
• In the past I have used it book parking lollipops for a house move, pay my parking permit and request a criminal record check for work. Also when at the accountant, she did our tax return and was able to get permission from dd to do hers (she wasn't there) by sending a request in the app.

When we moved house last year, the commune checked that we live where we say we do and the central record means the address is updated with govt agencies. Part of having ID is surely knowing who is in the country, where they live and what their status is. They also do spot checks on businesses to ensure there are no illegal workers.

I do not feel oppressed by any of this.
A lot of the nonsense being posted about mission creep is quite frankly ridiculous. GDPR means people who don't need your data can't hold it / access it. Information on your health / sexuality / religious / political beliefs etc is considered extremely sensitive and in no way can ever be used to stop you going into shops etc. Though I think no longer in EU, UK has to adhere to GDPR to do business in Europe.

I’m glad you have what you are after but I’m ok without it.

There are more effective ways to control who is in the country. I don’t know how close your system is to Germany’s but they still have the highest number of unauthorised migrants anyway. There isn’t a link between a system and that number.

Exactly, I know people in their 50s who don't. I know people in their 70s. Some just have tablets and laptops and old style mobile phones.

I'm always a bit cross with train lines that don't have chargers, so one always has to be careful to have phone on high charge for digital tickets

@scalt thanks for your explanation

I mean, I obviously know all of this already. But hopefully your explanation will wake up a few people

You and I have talked a lot on here about lockdowns. The psychology is amazing isn't it. I thought all of this would be in place by 2022 so I suppose but at least we've had a little break.

they're just sitting there waiting for everything they perceive as an opportunity. It's so sinister and it's so depressing. The weird thing about getting older is not getting older. It's watching the same shit go round the political and societal turntable over and over again.

People in favour of this, how long do you think it will take to roll it out please?

The individual identification number was introduced back in the 60s, and it connects everything so your ID number is all an authority needs to check the information on you but that still doesn't mean the government can break the law and abuse people's right's. Though I can understand being a bit more wary about that with the British government, but so long as there are still laws protecting rights, they cannot break them even if they have the technical means.

Honestly I’d be surprised if it was in place within the decade. There government spent £10 million putting the labour force survey online which wasn’t hugely effective so it’s still being done face to face whilst the online version goes through various incarnations several years later.

Yes. Most people I know think it will help/ streamline things. ‘I’ve got nothing to hide so bring it on’ is the sort of thing I hear.

Thanks. I don’t mind if other countries have it, obviously it’s up to that electorate. I don’t think it will do what it’s being sold as to do re illegal working and I think a 2025 digital ID scheme is another thing due to its AI ability.

But the government can change the law, and can do it quickly. (Covid lockdowns, foot&mouth etc.) Statutory instruments can be used to implement changes to any law in exceptional times.

And this. There’s been charities raising concern over access to bank accounts already.

Reform want to remove human rights, employment rights and the equality act.

Reform are a whole issue in themselves, is it really likely they could get in power? Their supporters are very vocal but are there enough of them for this to be a danger do you think?

Does it make it harder to work illegally, though not impossible of course. But I'm more interested in what the previous poster thinks has happened in Finland along the lines they wrote about.

I'm not interested in having digital id cards. I already have a passport and driving licence. I'm happy to continue verifying my identity as we do now.
The money this will cost should be spent on more important things.

It'll cost a fortune. Government cronies will get super-rich off the back of it (much like they did in Covid times) and we'll see very little benefit from it.