ID Cards Poll

Over at the UK ID Cards Blog, Trevor Mendham comments on the latest ICM Poll, citing concern among the British population about ID cards. It starts to get interesting when he links to a summary in the Sun. Not least, because the Sun puts an entirely different spin on the matter.

For example, around 80% of people back ID cards, yet a third don’t want to pay £85 for one. Presumably that means two-thirds do. So, what is it, yes they do? Or no they don’t? Can’t have it both ways. If they don’t want to pay for it, then we can presume that on this issue, they are opposed.

It gets better. Trevor sees this as a positive aspect for the campaign against ID cards. The Sun, however, sees this as good news for Blunkett – oh, come on, it can’t be both.

Er, well, it can, actually. This is because you can make statistics say whatever you want, depending on the spin you put on them. Which is why Trevor Mendham and The Sun see the same set of statistics and read opposing outcomes from them.

The reality is somewhere between the two. Most people just haven’t given the matter enough thought to give a reasoned answer and depending on the question, will probably reply in the positive. However, while most people haven’t thought about function creep, David Blunkett has – he wants the private sector to get involved. So, if you asked folk whether they want to have every financial transaction recorded on a government database, they might just have a different response. Unless, they want all of their financial transactions recorded on a government database. Do they want all their visits to their GP recorded as well? Do they still feel like paying £85 for the privilege?

Given the all-in-one nature being proposed, there are a number of caveats that haven’t been answered by the Home Office. Shortly after I started my first job about twenty years ago, I had my wallet stolen. It contained about £8 in cash and my bank card. Inconvenient, yes, but devastating, no. I got a new card. For several months afterwards, I was subjected to greater scrutiny when using my replacement card and had to verify my identity. Now the quick witted amongst you will be ahead of me here. Under the Blunkett scheme, the card will be the verification of identity.

At the moment identity thieves have to work at putting together a fake or cloned identity using a series of low level documents that builds a picture of the identity they wish to use. That is why they pay people to rummage around dustbins for discarded bank statements and utility bills. Under the new scheme everything is in one place. Great, you might think. However, while people like Peter Hain tout the idea that biometrics are somehow infallible and unforgeable, that idea is naïve in the extreme. Given sufficient resale value anything is forgeable and believe me, given the value of a British passport, a British ID card will be extremely valuable.

Now, if function creep happens, losing (or having stolen) your card will not be the minor inconvenience it was to me twenty years ago. Losing this card will effectively put your life on hold until you get a replacement. Then, of course you have the added problem that your biometric details have been compromised. A password that is compromised can be changed – how do you change your iris pattern or fingerprints? Far from overcoming identity theft, Blunkett’s plan will make it more likely, rather than less.

The Sun doesn’t seem to have anything to say on these matters, but then, I expect nothing less from them.