Home Office try to lure London's students onto ID card database

The 'voluntary' sign-up to the ID card scheme came to the capital today when the Home Office announced that young Londoners could now apply for a National ID card.

As reported in the Evening Standard:

People aged 18 to 24 will be able to spend £30 on a biometric photocard that can be used to prove their age when buying alcohol or age-restricted goods, to gain entry to a nightclub, or even to travel in Europe.

Home Office minister Meg Hillier said that the National Identity Card would be an “extremely useful tool”.

Adding that, “with tough new laws clamping down on underage drinking, it will be more important than ever for young people to have access to a universally accepted proof of age.”

There is a certain irony that while the Home office desperately tries to tackle binge drinking in one campaign, it presents being able to prove one’s age when buying alcohol as a benefit for getting an ID card in another. Clearly whatever works to dupe the young into signing away their personal data is just dandy.

However, what this latest sales pitch neglects to mention is that by signing up, these young Londoners face having their personal details held on insecure government databases for the rest of their lives.

Moreover, in addition to the initial £30, under this intrusive scheme every registered individual will be obliged to notify any changes in their personal information – and failure to do so may incur a fine.

As our friends at No2ID point out, cash-strapped students shouldn't even be thinking about spending £30 on an ID card when a) the Tories and the Lib Dems want rid of them and b) there are plenty of age verification cards available that cost under £10. 

This is just the latest in a series of poorly aimed, poorly thought-out government propaganda pitches for the ID card to encourage (or perhaps lay the ground-work) for full-scale introduction.

By Edward Hockings

Comments

[Sandy]

Slowly but surely this is about moving into a Nanny state..Control...soon it will be the micro chip.

Think I am joking?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3697940.stm

[LeChiffre]

This sad government changes its tune yet again: now the ID card and the National Identity Register will help youngsters buy a beer. It’s a far cry from the original alleged benefits of combating terrorism, illegal immigration, benefit cheats, NHS tourists etc, etc

[J]

The girl in the pic has blonde hair but the card shows someone with dark hair.
Says it all really.

[Sandy]

I live abroad and we have ID cards it contains a thumb print, a photograph ,name , date of birth and full address. Or, I could of course use my Passport but if I have my bag stolen it takes time to replace a Passport. I have no problem with an ID Card but thats not what the British Goverment want, they want much, much more.

[RM]

From the comments left on the website when Jacky Smith initially tried to target students I suspect HMG may not have a lot of success with this ploy....

[vervet]

@Sandy: "I have no problem with an ID Card but thats not what the British Goverment want, they want much, much more."

Yes - spot on - it's not the card with photo and textual info that's at issue - it's the huge amount of additional, intrusive info that is to be stored on the RFID chip and in the state database.

Keep spreading that word, to counter the government propaganda.

[Mishmash]

Have a look at this:

http://www.no2id.net/