How so?
I think it's just a way of controlling the population and removing freedoms, in the interests of those who hold power. Nothing at all to do with protecting people.

I cannot understand all this moaning about ID cards I have had one since 1939, and no i havn't lost it, its here somewhere we all had them then

How so? As you said, they already track stuff, who says it isn't already in a big database? Why will it suddenly get worse with ID cards?

Yes, they already track things and data harvesting will always go on.
However, consolidating all my data in one easy-to-lose-and-copy card is simply not a good idea, nor is wandering into the sort of society which would seek to diminish the rights of the individual unless they submit to a centralised identity system. Once this genie is out of the bottle, then you can forget most of your rights to privacy. You'll be endlessly traceable and accountable, and that's the sort of power no government should possess.
Can you think of one example where that sort of power has ended happily?

I honestly don't know enough about the topic to answer that question.
I'm just seeing the same thing being said over and over again "I don't want to be traceable", but we already are...If you get pulled over for 'speeding' you'll need to produce your license and other documents, if you want to open a bank account you need to produce ID, if you want to travel you need ID, all of that is traceable, and just because we have multiple cards/books/documents, what makes us think that it isn't already all linked up in one big database?
Things like religion is given on the census, so they already have that, sexuality might be guessable from such things, political views could be collected via various means...

How do we know that we don't already live in that country?

A Driving Licence is optional, a passport is optional, all other forms of ID are optional (eg. "Proof of age" cards), a Tesco Clubcard is optional. A government ID card is not. Also, my Driving Licence and passport do not hold any DNA, fingerprint or iris scan information.

Al's right. This is just another step on the road to 24/7 tracking. Yes, at the moment travel can be tracked, and credit cards, and all sorts of things. But that doesn't make spending a fortune to make it easier for the govt to track us. These cards lead to biometrics, which lead to GPS and RFID tagging. The road is short and there aren't many stops left.

I'd like to see them pull this [LIFTED] in the States.

It’s being able to add all this data up to build a picture of you. Yes, I am aware that we all leave digital footprints: every credit card spend, every web site, CCTV footage, etc.. The thing is that the ID card scheme provides a keystone to lock these disparate data sources together, and if this goal is not in the long term plans for the system, then I would be very surprised. I guess they could even tap into your library book borrowing habits if they wanted to.

To those who said that humans would have problems with searching through the data — fear not. A lot of the work will be done using statistic analysis software — anything “interesting” could be pulled for further analysis and investigation. What constitutes as “interesting” would no doubt be defined by the politics of the day. I would imagine that to some, repeated long distance journeys to the capital by low waged Muslims could be “interesting”. You get the picture - you travel to your parent’s house in the capital every week because that is what you do, but suddenly this becomes something worthy of further investigation. The system would not necessarily have the intelligence to filter this behaviour out from someone who is casing the joint for nefarious means.

Ok, example over, but you get my point I hope. Innocent behaviour can be easily misconstrued.

In a surveillance society, we are all suspects. We are viewed by the powers that be as a potential threat—the enemy within. In effect, to beat the enemies we have to become like them, and more.

The cry of Number 6 was always “I am not a number, I am a free man!” seems almost prophetic now. We are sleepwalking towards the country becoming The Village. The masses being more interested in celebrity culture than what is actually going on.

So, who thinks we'll end up like 1984....

Mmmm, double plus good....

I've only had ID since I was 17. Provisional, and then Driving Licence.

Easy as pie.

I went abroad once, when I was about 15, and I have to renew my Passport to go to Tokyo next year.

These I.D cards are just going to make a big mess, alot messier.

I take your point and I personally agree with it, however lots of people are concerned that if it is all stored centrally, then if someone does get access to the database then they get all your data rather than just some of it (as is the case at the moment, with lots of seperate databases).

Of course, if it's implemented properly then there shouldn't be a problem. But if the security isn't right then there could be pretty serious consequences.

I want to know what they'll do if the country rebels against this, I mean, sure you can arrest a few people for not carrying the cards if that does become law to carry it, but somehow I don't think the entire country can be incarcerated, I mean, our prisons are already overcrowded, what they gonna do?

Oooooh a rebel!

Watch out, you'll have 'BT' working outside your house soon.

The chance of BT actually doing any work makes it a rubbish cover story.

They do something out side our house...then the net goes down for 4 hours.....I think it's the Government.....

But in all seriousness, what are they going to do about it? I can see this country going to an even bigger state of pot than it's already in if this goes ahead. Be interesting to see how many arrests are made when these cards come out.

Oh, another thing! What about the elderly, some of the poor soles can't remember what day of the week/month/year, how are they meant to remember to carry this card everywhere?

Bobby - "ID please"

OAP - "Hmmm, it seems I have forgotten it"

Booby - "Your nicked...terrorist"

Slightly farfetched, but you get the point.