Is Britain heading for an identity crisis? With the threat of terrorism and organised crime, the government has announced that it wants to introduce identity cards. Other countries have ID card schemes and the idea has support from law enforcers. But it has also attracted considerable criticism from civil liberties groups.
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A six-month trial started in Jan 04
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How will identity cards affect you? Are you comforted by the security they provide or afraid that Britain will become a big brother state? If you want to influence policy before it becomes law, this is the time to start.
What are the arguments?
For identity cards: The government and supporters of the scheme argue that identity cards are important because they will:
- Prevent illegal immigration: Lack of a card means illegal immigrants think they can arrive and disappear
- Prevent illegal working: They give employers a secure way of knowing if people are actually allowed to work. It’ll be easier to prosecute employers who break the law
- Aid anti-terrorism measures: It’ll be harder for terrorists and organised crime rings to use false and multiple identities
- Tackle identity theft: They’ll help protect against identity theft
- Reduce benefit fraud and abuse of public services: They will ensure that public services are only used by those entitled
- Enhance sense of community: ID cards will create a sense of shared citizenship and belonging
Against identity cards: Opponents say that identity cards won’t improve security. They will:
- Worsen harassment of ethnic minorities: They’ll provide another pretext for stop-and-search, often directed at ethnic minorities
- Have little impact on counter-terrorism: Sophisticated terror networks would soon be able to produce counterfeit cards or papers enabling people to get legitimate cards
- Have little effect on illegal working: Employers who are already willing to break the law won’t be put off by identity cards
- Lead to ‘function creep’: The functions of the card will grow over time as it stores more personal information. More people could demand to see it, effectively making it compulsory to carry one
- Lead to loss of privacy: There will be a massive database containing an unprecedented amount of personal information on people
- Be costly and impractical: There is scepticism about the cost and operability of the scheme, as well as the government’s ability to manage the technology
Weighing up the risks and benefits of identity cards is hard as it’s a really complicated issue. You don’t have to be absolutely for or against the plans in order to take action. Many groups don’t object to identity cards in principle but have serious reservations about how they are implemented. For example, you may want to make sure that while it should be compulsory to have identity cards, it shouldn’t be compulsory to carry them.
Where is the process at?
The government has indicated that draft legislation paving the way for the introduction of ID cards will be published shortly.
There has already been a public consultation on the issue and various organisations have presented their case to the Home Affairs Select Committee in Parliament.
A six month ‘technology trial’ began in January 2004 as reported on BBC News Online. Volunteers will have biometric information (fingerprints and iris scans) put on smartcards. The success of this will determine the national roll-out.
The first phase includes biometrically updating passports and driving licenses and introducing a voluntary card. If the scheme works and is publicly acceptable, the government will make identity cards compulsory.
Read more about the plan in the government White Paper, Identity Cards: The Next Steps.
What can I do now?
Talk to interested organisations
There are a number of lobby groups and organisations with a stake in the matter. They may help you make up your mind:
- Liberty, the human rights organisation, believes any benefits from identity cards are outweighed by the financial and civil liberties costs. Their website has more information on identity cards
- Stand is a lobby group opposing identity cards. They have resources on the issue
- The Law Society are sceptical of the scheme. They say the police don’t have problems identifying individuals but linking them to crimes. Read their full report
- The Information Commissioner, in charge of data protection, says the government must respect privacy but the obstacles are not “insurmountable.” Read his full report
- Rethink, a mental illness charity, says those with mental illness might not be able to afford a card and will have problems accessing services. Read their report
- The Financial Services Authority support the scheme on financial grounds. They say cards would help the disadvantaged, who find it hard to prove identity and address, do basic things like set up bank accounts. You can read their report on identity cards
- The Police Federation support identity cards because they enable easy street identification and help prevent fraud
- The Confederation of British Industry say cards will benefit UK businesses
Talk to the government
The Home Office website has proposals and research into identity cards. You can read the government’s summary of the consultation exercise on ID cards.
You can contact the Home Office for more information and send in your views.
Talk to your MP
Your MP is your representative in parliament, and if you have strong concerns you should let them know. The iCan guides, How to lobby political representatives and How to influence decision-makers are a useful starting point. You can also read the guide, Understanding what MPs do and how they can help you.
Get campaigning
There are a number of campaigns on this issue and as well as the links above, there are more on our ID cards issue page. If you want to take action yourself read the iCan guide, How to start a campaign and set up a group, or go to our Take action page to post a notice and see if other people in your area share your concern.
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The views expressed in these comments are those of the contributors and not the BBC
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Most recent comments:
"If you've got nothing to hide then it will not infringe on your civil liberties" - does no-one remember Richard Nixon anymore? If a president of the USA can run a team who burglarised and wiretapped the oposition party HQ, burglarised a doctors office in search of material to discredit a political opponent, used the IRS, CIA and FBI to harass people, and attempted to cover this up through lying and bribery - then what makes people so sure they have nothing to fear by giving their supposedly honest goverment increased powers to monitor and track many aspects of their lives?
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Comment contributed by: justin powell,
Cambridge,
on 06 April 2004
at 15:04
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If you've got nothing to hide then it will not infringe on your civil liberties ! - we should be more concerned with credit check companies and the like who often hold much more inaccurate data on you - without most of us knowing it ! - what's the difference between a driving licence and an ID card ? Until we get ID cards I would imagine it's a lot easier to prove your identity IF you can Drive !
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Comment contributed by: Nick Turner,
Kirklees,
on 05 April 2004
at 22:01
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We are at least 20 years behind Europe, please at least catch up by enforcing ID cards.
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Comment contributed by: Mike Stacey,
on 05 April 2004
at 21:05
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I have nothing to hide, but do feel they could be open to abuse by any future government.
I also feel that everyone will never get a ID Card because the authorities cannot find everyone who can't/won't pay the council tax.
Many people are no longer on the electoral roll. I know one area of the country where prior to the council tax there was 25,000 people on the electoral roll and there is now 6,000 and you can be fined for not being registered. I feel the war on terrorism is being used to justify measures that are near dictatorial.
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Comment contributed by: Rex Vile-Watson,
Edinburgh, City of,
on 05 April 2004
at 19:38
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As a service man I carried an identity card and only found it benificial in proving my identity. Also what's the difference between an I/D card and a driving licence? Only those with something to hide are likely to object.
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Comment contributed by: Cyril Pike,
Salisbury,
on 02 March 2004
at 17:44
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