With the introduction of cards that contain personal information, there would most certainly be the subject of privacy to discuss. The database containing the information would hold, at least, the persons name, address, date of birth, sex and a unique personal number. The database would have to be clear and also have strict safeguards. With a Voluntary scheme this is surmountable, yet if it the scheme were voluntary then service providers would have to pay more to provide alternatives for people with no card.
In the UK, the government wishes to run a universal compulsory ID card scheme because it wants to put an end to a number of problems, e.g. threats of terrorism and illegal immigration. People naturally don’t agree with this, saying that all the government wants to do is monitor them and govern what services they used, even though the people pay tax for the services.
The Government quotes that the universal entitlement card would:
- Provide people who are lawfully resident in the UK with a means of confirming their identity to a high degree of assurance
- Establish for official purposes a person’s identity so that there is one definitive record of an identity which all Government departments can use if they wish
- Help people gain entitlement to products and services provided by both the public and private sectors, particularly those who might find it difficult to so do at present;
- Help public and private sector organisations to validate a person’s identity, entitlement to products and services and eligibility to work in the UK.
(Homeoffice Executive Summary)
Some people will be naturally unsure of the fact that any government department could access their personal information. There would need to be one main database linked up to several others and the possibility of misuse is high. Also, a hacker may be able to break into the computers and misuse the information.
It also may be a hindrance to have to remember to use a card and carry it around all the time for simple tasks such as buying a product, especially for elderly people.
The government believes that the card will help combat illegal immigration by the fact it will remove the idea that once a person is in a the country they can gain job and use public services. Also, employers don’t have to check the immigration status of their workers, just check a card. Other benefits are that people don’t have to give their information out again and again to different services. It can stop criminals pretending to be dead people and also helps prove the identity young people when buying age-restricted things.
The government also wants to incorporate within the entitlement card a unique identification of the holder, possibly in the shape of a fingerprint or iris scan. This would stop any possible fraud that occurs with ID cards at the moment that just use a picture.
The government realises that people may have problems with these ideas so they launched a consultation in mid 2002 to January 2003, which asked whether people were bothered if they had to go to a place where the equipment was that recorded the information.
The government also has said that the information stored on the chip would be:
- Biometric information if this was to be part of any scheme to allow the person presenting the card to be verified as the person to whom it was issued;
- Additional information placed on the chip by other service providers to allow the card to be used to access their services e.g. information which would allow the card to be used for concessionary travel;
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Additional information to guard against counterfeiting or fraud (for example an issue number which would not be displayed on the card itself).
(Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud Frequently Asked Questions)
Some people object to the carrying round of more pieces of plastic and the government recognises this and is waiting to see what the outcome of the consultation brings – it may not be a card, but be similar or within the passport or driving license: see below.
←Driving License ID Card→
The card would also have to meet with all points in the 1998 Data Protection Act, it does this by only carrying the following information: Name, address, unique number, nationality, sex, a digital photograph, digital signature, validity dates of card, employment status, possible biometric information, but no pin number or password etc.
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After the recent terrorist attack on the USA, the idea of ID cards has been brought up to prevent more attacks in that it would deter, if not stop, terrorists from entering the country. Any civilian of the country would have to have one, although if terrorists already lived in the said country, this would not have much affect, but this is only in America. The Bush Administration believes that ID cards would aid in the war against terrorism, but the English government says that “entitlement” cards would help against illegal immigration, illegal working and identity fraud which it believes are more important than a war.
Whether we will receive entitlement cards is up to the said consultation paper, and if we do have to carry them around, the safety of our personal information will be in the hands of the government.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
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